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One of my favorite habits in life is waking up early on Sunday morning, getting the Sunday paper, making a hot cup of coffee, and kicking back to read about what's going on in the world. It's my quiet time...my time alone to reflect and relax.

One Sunday morning about halfway through my little ritual, I spotted a headline that read "Graduating Student Credits His 'Angel'"...and I began to read.

A young man who was graduating from college told the story about how Oral Lee Brown was his "Real Life Angel". In 1987 Brown, a real estate agent in Northern California, saw a young girl in her neighborhood begging for money. When she went to the school the girl had claimed to attend, Brown couldn't find her, but that day she made a decision that would change the lives of many other children forever. She adopted an entire first-grade class in one of Oakland's lowest performing schools, and she pledged that she personally would pay for anyone who wanted to attend college.

This would be a great story even if Oral Lee Brown was independently wealthy; however, it is a much greater story considering she was a former cotton picker from Mississippi, making $45,000 a year and raising two children of her own.

Brown lived up to her pledge. Since 1987, she's personally saved $10,000 a year while raising donations for her "adopted first-grade kids." And because of her tremendous act of unselfish love, children who could have been "swallowed by the streets" are now graduating from college to pursue their dreams.

We all seek our purpose in life. Most of us wonder how we can make a positive difference during our brief time on this earth. But asking and doing are different things.

It's hard to imagine that Oral Lee Brown wouldn't have a wonderful positive attitude, because she has thought less about herself and more about others. This, in my opinion, is a "little secret" that many people never quite understand about life.

A Native American boy was talking with his grandfather. "What do you think about the world situation?" he asked. The grandfather replied, "I feel like wolves are fighting in my heart. One is full of anger and hatred; the other is full of love, forgiveness, and peace."

"Which one will win?" asked the boy, to which the grandfather replied, "The one I feed." (Unknown Origin)

The simple story provides the essence of a life-changing law of the universe...You become what you think about. The words are almost too simple to "feel important." However, if you "get it," if you truly understand their meaning, you can forever harness the power of a positive attitude.

Simply stated...if we choose to think positive thoughts, we'll get positive results; if we think negative thoughts, we'll get negative results. Pretend for a moment that every thought is a seed you sow in your fertile mind. Therefore, as I once heard someone say, "If you plant crabapples, don't expect to harvest Golden Delicious." You will reap the fruit of the thoughts you sow.

In his best-selling classic The Power of Positive Thinking, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale wrote:

"Learn to expect, not to doubt. In doing so you bring everything into the realm of possibility...It is amazing how a sustained expectation of the best sets the forces in motion which cause the best to materialize."

I once heard someone say, "We don't remember days; we remember moments." However, at today's hectic pace we often forget to savor small pleasures while we make big plans.

In the race to be better or best, we sometimes lose sight of "just being." And just being, just soaking in and savoring a beautiful moment, can provide some of life's greatest pleasures. A crackling fire on a cold winter night, a good book, a love letter from your spouse, a spectacular sunset, a great meal, or a timeless moment with your child or a friend...these moments, if we stop long enough to enjoy, are the essence of life.

I love to fish, especially for large-mouth bass. About three years ago I was watching television late one night and got this crazy notion to go fishing in the lake behind my house. Of course my wife thought I was nuts. It was almost midnight!

I convinced her I was sane and took off. I walked out to a warm summer breeze and looked up at the starry sky and breathtaking full moon. I allowed my senses to soak in every second- the sweet smell of honey suckle, the sound of every cricket and bullfrog, the moon's reflection dancing off the water- it was a perfect night.

After walking across a small field, I took out a flashlight, and selected a lure. On my first cast I reeled in a bass weighing over five pounds, one of the largest I had ever caught. I gently released it back into the water and continued my midnight adventure. During the next two hours I caught seventeen bass, all between two and five pounds. Although I've fished for almost fifty years, no fishing memory can top that warm summer night.

But that night provided far more than a fishing memory. It was a life memory. It provided me a snapshot of what life could be like if I just slowed down enough to savor the moments. On my way back to the house, as I walked through the tall grass, I took one last look at the sky and stopped to say, "Thank You, God, for giving me this night."

What are your greatest gifts? How can you best serve mankind? These are questions you must answer to find your true purpose in life.

Who am I?

What am I meant to do here?

What am I trying to do with my life?

These are powerful questions that can be difficult to answer. They sometimes surface during major life transitions such as a family strife, job loss, spiritual awakenings, or the death of a loved one.

I feel fortunate to have found my purpose in life. I have that reason to get up in the morning and it fuels my passion. In one of the greatest compliments I ever received, someone said to me, "Mac, when you speak you've been blessed with the ability to connect with others...soul to soul." I thought about those words and have chosen to shape my life around that gift. My purpose through speaking and writing is to "bring ideas to life" that will encourage and motivate people.

Every person is a unique being. There is only one of you in the universe. You have many obvious gifts and other gifts waiting to be discovered.

I truly believe, however, that one of the most important questions you can ask yourself in your journey to find your purpose is, "How can I serve others?"

Albert Schweitzer said it well: "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."

Good ideas don't just happen. They depend on people who are open to making them happen, people who are eager to explore new paths and have a burning desire to learn new things. Jordan Ayan, an expert on creativity, says in his book "Ignite Your Creative Spark" that new ideas have roots in your creative soul, and a four-step process will help you bring them to life.

The four steps are:

1. Preparation- You gather information and resources to fully understand a problem or opportunity.
2. Incubation- You take no conscious action toward solving your problem; instead you just let your subconscious mind play with the information.
3. Illumination- You experience the "Aha" moment, probably when you are least expecting it.
4. Implementation- You do...or you don't. This is where most people fall off the creative train. I heard John Maxwell once say, "Lots of folks have great ideas in the shower, but they seem to lose them when they dry off." Don't be one of those people. Use persistence and passion to bring your ideas to life.