This one is called, "Fresh Start", my first for the year and my 117th wallpaper overall to the gallery.

Each new day is a gift. This simple statement has been uttered many times before in various ways, but the truth and essence of this brings comfort to me, as I hope it does for you as well.

If you're like me (as well as a large percentage of the human population), you might have started this new year with high hopes, specific goals, and aspirations for creating a better life. At this time of the year, when we make such goals, they're commonly referred to as "New Year's Resolutions". Have you kept up with all of yours so far? Or have you already given up on a few of them?

Ok, I'll be up front and honestly admit that I've allowed myself to slip a little bit with a few of my own. However, I'm not going to allow a small setback to make me give up on continuing going forward with those goals. The great thing about a new day is that it's another fresh start to get back on track again. Each new day is a gift because it's another chance to start fresh.

Make a new resolution or decision to begin today and do something that will improve the quality of your life. Don't feel that because you messed up on a decision or even given up in the past that it's final. It doesn't have to be January 1st on the calendar for one to make a new fresh start. The best time to start again is today!

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

I've released today my newest wallpaper, in celebration of the upcoming Christmas holiday, entitled, "Illuminate", making it my sixteenth (and final one) for the year and my 116th overall.

Not only am I feeling the excitement of the holidays, I am reminded of what this Christmas season is about. "We are told to let our light shine...", said Moody. Actually, in today's modern world, we seldom hear this, if even at all. But back when D.L. Moody was out proclaiming the gospel, it was taught that we are to be a light in this world. But what does that mean? Now a days, it's more like, "Shine the light on me!" or "Look at me!" When did this attitude become the norm?

One definition of illumination means to enlighten, as with knowledge. We are to be a light that people see, but the type that reveals to others who God is, and what He did for us by our actions. And that all started when Christ came to earth in the form of a baby. Again, the goal is to be a light for others, not shine the light on ourselves.

The true Christmas spirit of the season is of love and of giving. God gave us His Son, the ultimate gift, because He loved us so much. Let's shine a light on that gift so that others may see and find the real meaning of this season called Christmas.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

In honor of Veteran's Day, I decided to create this new wallpaper entitled, "Heroes", making it my fifteenth for the year and 115th overall for the gallery.

The original version of this wallpaper didn't even contain the silhouette of the soldiers. It actually hadn't even crossed my mind until today when I came across an image on Flickr by the US Army. I thought, "Hmmm, before I post this, let me see how this wallpaper might look like with this included somehow." I usually don't alter my work after I have already decided on my concept. But this addition didn't deviate from the concept. It actually helped pull everything together even more. It helped to reinforce the idea that there are those who need help and there are those who do answer the call and become heroes by doing so.

My grandfather was a veteran, so I know this day also meant something extra special to him. Thank you again to all those out there defending our freedoms at home and abroad. You are definitely worthy of the title, "Hero".

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

You live - you learn. I must've heard that phrase 1,000 times. It's mostly true. You learn if you choose to open your mind and see what life is trying to teach you in that moment.

Life teaches us - and we grow - from experience. Those experiences can be our own, or they can be someone else's. Life allows us to gain wisdom from both sets. It's kind of like being in a car traveling along life's road. You can be the driver and experience life directly. Or, you could be the passenger, and learn from the life of the driver as well. You become a passenger when you decide to learn from the driver's experience as an observer. But you can both learn the lesson from that event. Life's great that way!

The thing to remember is that life's road rarely comes in the form of a clear straight line. The benefit of this is that we can gain a much broader, even clearer, perspective on life when we must go through some detours that we had not planned on going through.

Sometimes the experience is painful; sometimes it's easy. Sometimes the lesson is crystal clear; other times it's not.

I believe that whatever curve in the road we go through, there is some lesson to be learned. And with that, something that helps us to handle the next twist up the road. We can choose to close our eyes and keep moving forward, without gaining any additional benefit. Or, we can open up our mind and see what we are supposed to have learned.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

This image is largely a reworked image that I rendered over 10 years ago for another wallpaper site. Last year, I determined that if I could rework that old render and make it look more realistic, while maintaining the original surreal style to it, I would use that image to make it into one of my "Success Wallpapers".

Due to the amount of changes I kept making, this image took longer than I wanted. But I was careful not to rush to a final version until I was completely satisfied with it. Just this week I felt that the look I was trying to achieve finally came together. The topic that kept coming back to me when viewing this image was "serenity".

There are times when we need to evaluate everything in our lives - the physical, mental, and spiritual areas where we feel stressed - and just take a deep breath. Then exhale and allow anything negative to wash away. The one who can do this will find true serenity.

The negative things will appear smaller and not so devastating. They still may remain in the picture, but for now, just save it all for later. What is important to note is that we all need to clean out the garbage that clutters up the mind and soul on a daily basis.

Life can become so overwhelming at times that it seems to make all the good in our lives appear hidden. I look forward to the day when I can find that true permanent serenity myself. Until that day, I need to be alert and mindful when I need to find that serenity and do a "cleanse". This image serves as my reminder of that. I hope it can do the same for you.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

The majority of the population sets goals for their lives, but few seem to hold on to such a dream which allows the desire to fade away. Those goals set once upon a time become a mere mirage over time.

Of those who do persist and prevail, they realize that the goal does not fulfill them completely. Why? Because we are made to continue to improve ourselves until the day we die. That is the true quest of life. It is a combination of smaller journeys rather than only a singular one.

Setting a new challenge after one is met and repeating the process through life is what keeps the mind busy, and makes the soul happy. If you aren't on a path to fulfill a major goal in your life today, begin now and see if it doesn't give you a little extra boost of motivation - as well as a desire - to know that there's something great that you were meant to still actively accomplish.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

More than any time in my life right now, I am coming to realize how important it is to try and gain the proper perspective and see the big overall picture. I believe that proper perspective can only be achieved through having good insight on a given situation or subject.

Insight itself is simply having an accurate understanding of the event or object that is being focused on. It is not a superficial or low-level type of understanding, but rather a deeper level knowledge of the "What" and the "Why". When people make snap judgements about things without proper insight, bad decisions usually follow.

Usually we can decipher the "What" of most situations, but it's much more difficult - sometimes even impossible - to know or understand the "Why". I won't get into any details of my own life here, but knowing that there is a reason for everything (an answer to the "Why's" of life) does provide some level of satisfaction for me, in that whatever hardships or blessings one may be going through, it does serve a purpose.

Having the courage - like a wise old lion - to sit down and honestly confront these questions honestly is the first step to gaining the insight we venture to obtain. It does aid us along life's road to deal with the rough patches along the journey.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

An obstacle can been defined as something that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress. Life is full of these. I wish that life could just cooperate with us when we need it to. I wish that when we take care of a problem that arises, that issue would stay fixed - forever.

Unfortunately, life does not flow that way. That's why I selected this particular image. It shows a jungle with many obstacles along the way, like that downed tree. It also pictures a peaceful place where the water arrives beyond the rocks and difficulties.

Life indeed is full of challenges and obstacles. But that's how we learn, and improve. That's how we develop character, and become stronger. Our muscles only grow when they are used and stressed to a point where they actually tear. Then they heal and become thicker and stronger. Our coping skills become stronger when we face and get past certain challenges in our lives.

This quote is fitting too because obstacles do come in the form of loss or disappointment as well. Some things in life we may not be able to change, but we can change. These obstacles can also help guide us in the right direction too. And like the picture, in the end it all evens out, and we can feel much better about how things eventually turned out.

I'd like to send out a prayer for all those out there are are facing some very difficult obstacles in their lives today. These obstacles will make you stronger and better eventually. Keep your determination and hope up, despite these hindrances, so that you'll arrive at that peaceful spot. I know I look forward to that day myself.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

So I'm happy to finally give to you my ninth new wallpaper for the year called, "Step Up", which is also my 109th overall wallpaper for the site.

I am aiming to release yet another new wallpaper this month, and probably 2 wallpapers each month for the next couple of months as well. I have all the ideas laid out that I would still like to create yet this year, so I feel pretty confident that I can offer about six to seven more yet for 2011.

Hopefully this wallpaper will help inspire you to take a few steps up yourself in some area of your life. Have a great rest of the week!

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

So to celebrate in my own way this year, I've made another new holiday-themed success wallpaper entitled, "Freedom", making it my 5th of the year and 108th overall for this gallery.

Freedom is a wonderful thing. I'm sure you've heard the classic phrase, "Freedom does not come free". This "wall" is my way of expressing how much blood had to be shed to provide us the many freedoms we now have in this country. The fatigue of gaining these freedoms first started through war.

Over 235 years ago, 56 brave men led in the decision that this nation should become a free one. They also realized that in order to gain independence, we would have to sacrifice a lot in the process. They knew that opposition would come calling to stop them. Yet they knew that the price in order for this nation to obtain it's independence was worth paying. America did win its freedom, but not every person in the United States had their own freedom.

Then, in 1861, America was torn into 2 camps, whether slavery should be abolished in America or not. Abraham Lincoln was a proponent to end slavery even before he took office, but it took an ugly civil war for this to be realized. Lincoln also knew how vital it was that America remain a unified nation. Although the North won in the end, and the Union was sustained, Lincoln paid the ultimate price himself at the conclusion of the bitter conflict. But, America did become a free nation to all!

I am very grateful for these many freedoms. I am also grateful for the many men and women - both past and present day - who put their lives in harm's way to preserve these freedoms. Sadly, I take these freedoms for granted too often. I guess that's one reason why I enjoy this holiday so much. It puts the focus back on how fortunate we are as Americans to live in a free land. Observance helps to overcome the sad state of forgetfulness that can easily descend on us. I thank God for all the blessings He's bestowed upon America.

I challenge you today to the use these freedoms you have to help someone in need. It makes having such freedoms even more valuable.

Check out this new success wallpaper now!

I've heard it said that zeal involves a keen interest in something. This image portrays a guitar and suggests that the owner holds a zeal for music. They are passionate about it, and it resonates with them at a very deep level.

Yet this image embodies more than just a musical instrument. If you look closely at the guitar face, it has all sorts of stickers and labels displayed on it. The owner of this guitar had "stamped" their own identity upon this item with both their experiences and love for music, in a more visual and public way.

I feel this image also highlights the idea that music is made alive when this guitar is played. The rhythms that resonate from it do reach down touch the soul of both the musician and the fortunate listeners who get to hear this instrument's message. They reach the "secret places of the soul."

Thankfully, you don't have to be a gifted musician to enjoy music, though. I am in no way a musician. I am not creatively gifted in that way. It's ok though, as I can still enjoy music and song in my own unique way through listening.

But when you have a unique interest or zeal in anything, which when nurtured properly, it can develop into a skill. The fact that you have a zeal for something unique should help direct you toward a specific path. But if you also have a natural talent for something as well, I believe you should pursue it in a way that is uniquely your own, and you will have the potential to create great things.

Check out this new motivational wallpaper now!

Courage is often associated with bravery and heroic acts, which is usually seen through an outward form of action. How strange is it then that the most important battlefield to conquer is on the inside.

Courage can be defined as the ability to confront fear, pain, risk, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. The items on that list could easily be categorized as inward or outward forces, depending on the situation.

I believe that the last item in that group - intimidation - is probably the most extreme of them all. Why do I say this? Because intimidation is a force that is on the offensive. In the realm of the psychological - it's a violent mental attack. The others still exist, but they are merely obstacles you run into along the way.

However, intimidation is more of an offensive entity moving towards you, whether you take action or not. Its goal is to pressure and frighten. When others are trying to intimidate you, you have to defend yourself. To do this, oddly enough, you need to defend yourself mentally by way of ignoring the negative message completely and block it out. The key to doing this though, is to focus solely on something else that reinforces the positive benefits of the goal you are trying to achieve. If an idea can't wedge it's way inside your mind, it's powerless to create fear and influence you.

One positive aspect about intimidation is that it forces you to make a decision. You will either summon up the courage it takes and attack back by blocking the negative thoughts from entering your mind and influence your beliefs; or you will give up, run away, hide, or submit. Either way, you will be forced to take action. Hopefully you will choose the former.

If you can overcome intimidation that tries to stop you on your path in life, then pain, risk, and uncertainty won't have a chance to stop you either. Win that battle in your mind to build courage, and use it to stay on your path until you reach the end!

Check out this new motivational wallpaper now!

Surprises can be a great thing when they happen. These surprises are sometimes revealed, and other times we have to seek them out. They may not seem to fit the mold of a "surprise" if we're seeking it, nevertheless, when we do find "it", it can be a source of joyous surprise - if we keep a positive attitude.

While I don't want to make Easter as being all about finding eggs or candy (because it isn't), I felt that the activity of the traditional Easter egg hunt symbolizes the fact that what we search for in life can be both fun and rewarding, if we choose to make it as such.

Case in point, I remember when I was a little boy, part of the Easter experience in our family was for my parents to hide candy all over the house for me and my younger sister to find. Along with the little piles of jelly beans, we each had a special basket of goods specially created just for each of us.

One particular year, in making the search a little sporting for me, my parents had hid my basket in a harder place to find, whereas my sister's was more "out" in the open, making it a lot easier for my little sis to find hers. (I think I passed by it like 3 times while trying to find mine.)

After about 10 minutes, I realized this, and I started to get frustrated. This wasn't fair and I didn't like it! My patience was spent, and I felt like quitting the game. However, with a little encouragement from my Mom, (and maybe a few hints from my Dad), I eventually found it.

So, looking back, I know that if I had kept looking with a more positive and patient attitude, and tried to enjoy the process, finding the prize would've been more rewarding, and a more enjoyable surprise.

Life is a lot like this, not just Easter candy hunts.

Check out this new Easter wallpaper now!

Have you ever had a life experience where extreme joy or serenity flooded over you so intensely that it felt euphoric? It's an awesome feeling, like witnessing the real Northern Lights! It's actually been 12 years since I last saw them myself, but I'm always looking ahead to the time when I'll see them again. Having those experiences makes me really appreciate those times.

There are many great things in life that can provide us the opportunities for euphoric moments. Unfortunately many people turn to the wrong things to reach experiences like this due to a lot of misinformation, laziness, wrong focus, or even peer pressure.

I won't digress as I know most of you already know the kinds of things I'm alluding to. But being able to achieve these wonderful highs in the right manner begin with managing your mind properly. I believe we can have these experiences more frequent than we think.

Being mentally available to experience these moments starts with having an open mind and a positive attitude. To borrow some points from my last blog entry on seizing the day, sometimes simply looking at where you're at now could provide this wonderful experience.

I know for myself, looking forward to the future and what possibilities lie ahead can set off enough of a spark that gets me going. While this may not be an instant "ecstatic experience", I believe it helps put me into the right frame of mind that I need to get there. There are other days when this doesn't work, but this happens because I allow negativity to block the path.

I believe there are a few things in life that can naturally set off euphoria without too much effort on our part. But I also believe moments of ecstasy can be experienced daily through possessing the right frame of mind - an appreciative and open one.

Check out this new wallpaper now!

In life, sometimes we can get frustrated by the apparent lack of progress we are making, or have made, compared to where we thought we should be. We all have goals and hopes for our futures. We all want to improve the quality of our lives. For some, the only way to do this is to make a radical change in one's life - like moving on - to be exposed to new opportunities.

But moving on - figuratively or physically - is not necessarily the right answer for everyone. I love Napoleon Hill's suggestion that we take another look at where we are right now and consider that maybe the perfect opportunity lies right beneath us. It's so easy to overlook things when we're standing right on top of them. I like how this image symbolizes this lesson.

Are you frustrated at home, or in your job? Take another look and figure out what makes you feel this way. If it's something that you can adjust yourself to, or fix what's causing the problem, then maybe you are where you're at for this very reason - to improve upon your surroundings. This is what you need to figure out.

It may not come right away. It may take some time and patience on your part before you see your efforts bearing fruit. But eventually, it will bring blessing - because you hung in there, where you were, and took advantage of your opportunity.

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I bet you never thought you'd see a motivational wallpaper celebrating a groundhog predicting the weather - at least one that wasn't in the shade of the demotivational sort.

In all honesty - for some strange reason - I've wanted to make such a wallpaper for a long time. However, a fitting concept never really came to me until I was running down a list of possible topics for this year a few weeks ago. When I came across "foresight", I had that light bulb moment for a possible idea.

Foresight is the act of looking forward, and getting a perspective of the future. Living in America, and seeing what has been happening these past few years (and even decades), it's easy to say that many in this nation had failed along the way to use good foresight, within the scope of making important economic decisions that would affect this nation.

One may ask, "But the groundhog is simply looking for his shadow. Where's the lesson in that?" Well, at least he's trying to look ahead for something. Don't make the same mistakes that many others have by not taking time to see how the decisions you make today will affect your future. Use a different perspective (along with some common sense) to see where you may be headed if things don't change. Doing this will help you to avoid the disasters that many others are headed towards.

Having the proper foresight allows you to create a sensible plan which you can adjust as you move forward. This allows you to be more creative, yet responsive when things start changing, allowing you to make better decisions, and stay on target to where you want to go. So it's well worth taking the time to look ahead on a consistent basis.

Here's to the Groundhog, who reminds us today to use a little foresight!

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This wallpaper was one that I've had on the shelf (in development) for a while - since the summer of last year actually. Other projects seemed to keep slipping in and took priority, but I finally finished this one up this week. (As I've probably mentioned at least once before, I have about 3-5 ideas that I am working on at any one time. When I feel that a wallpaper is completed, and the timing is right, I make that one live.)

The timing for this "wall" seems appropriate too, as many people are in the midst of trying to keep to their New Year's resolutions. Having and keeping the discipline to stick to your plan is vital to hitting your goals for this year.

I wish you all the best and that your goals and aspirations for this new year will come to fruition. Stay committed, stay focused, and stay disciplined! There are rewards awaiting you on the other side.

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Motivation is a strange topic when you stop and think about it. It's what influences people to take action, in what can be considered positive or negative directions. We call subjects that motivate us - motivators. These can come in positive or negative forms as well. Most of the time, however, motivation is associated in the positive form (which I prefer to use myself).

Motivation may not always be present either. It seems to appear when we decide in our minds to have it. Yet it vanishes when we get careless and forget about it.

It is an encouraging fact though that no one can take our motivation away from us if we so choose. We are the ones who decide how our minds behave and where our focus lies. Consequently, we decide when it leaves us when we shift our focus.

I suggest that we heed the great advice from Zig Ziglar to put motivation into our minds on a daily basis. Decide to first focus your mind on the right motivation (the positive). Then, secondly, decide to do this as early in your day as possible - this is key to getting you off in the right direction. Do this daily exercise, and you'll build up in your mind what it needs to keep moving you forward!

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You might be wondering why I'd put out a tropical (almost summer-like) wallpaper this late in the year. Well, nothing says December better than surfing in the Tropics, right? Ok, maybe I'm just trying to deal with the reality that I live in Wisconsin and it's December now. And the snow will soon be covering everything around here. Realizing this, I feel I have to allow my mind to take me to other places I'd rather be at - nothing wrong with that, right?

Regarding this image...I've never surfed myself, but I have this strange fascination when I watch surfboarding. It's quite impressive when a surfer "Hangs Ten" on a big wave. Being able to actually "Hang Ten" is considered one of the more impressive feats one can do on a surfboard. One could say that this act is surfing "excellence".

Excellence of course doesn't come easy. Nothing great or worthwhile ever does. Excellence comes as a result of a combination of knowledge (knowing what to do), action (doing it), repetition (enabling yourself to do it better and better), determination (strong desire on achieving it), commitment (not giving up on it), and time (allowing you to master it) blended together. Leave one of these ingredients out, and you will probably fall short of true excellence.

For most things in life, perfection is unattainable. No one is perfect. But attaining excellence in your chosen field or focus is the next best thing to it!

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A few years ago, when I first started out, I had made up my mind to create at least 1 wallpaper for every letter of the English alphabet. Then that took another twist and I created something like a success-based alphabet, kind of like what the US Military has.

Of course the alphabet needed to be based on words that are related to topics or phrases of inspiration, motivation, or success. So I started with "A" and worked my way down, jotting down words that began with "A" in the list. Then I choose the word that best fit the sound of that letter. Then I did "B" and so on, and so forth. When I got to the letter "X", the only phrase that came to mind was the phrase "x-factor". I've heard this before a few times, and after looking it up it seemed as though it could work for my "success alphabet". (I have the list made, but I have 2 more wallpapers to make before the list is completed.)

According to Dictionary.com, the term "x factor" is fully defined as "a hard-to-describe influence or quality; an important element with unknown consequences; also written X-factor". I liked the hyphenated version more as it matches well with the military's word for "X" (being "x-ray").

I really like how Gandhi's quote fit in perfectly with the idea that our thoughts are like the "x-factors" for what we ultimately become. Our quality of life depends on the quality of our thoughts. Although it is true, we don't know what the future holds, what is also true is that our lives are greatly affected by our thoughts. If we keep thinking in a positive way, those thoughts build upon themselves and help build our development into better people to help bring us to where we want to go. Guard your thoughts, for they ultimately make you!

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As a manager myself, this topic especially hits home for me. Teamwork is vital in many areas of life. Any activity or task that requires more than 1 person to accomplish will require a team to be formed. Having a "team spirit", "giving one up for the team", and "having a team mindset" are all expressions I'm sure you've heard of before.

But the fact that a "team" exists doesn't necessarily mean that teamwork is automatically created with it. Yet, teams won't really work as it should without the element of teamwork.

So what is teamwork? Simply defined: it is a coordinated effort by a group of persons acting together as a team for a common cause. Teams are able to accomplish much more when real teamwork is present. This should make logical sense. Yet, let's still take a look at some of the major benefits that teamwork provides.

First of all, teamwork creates synergy (the sum is greater than the individual parts). It fosters unity that lead to cooperation with team members to do the job better while also removing constraints. It allows for flexibility to respond to change. Teamwork also promotes camaraderie between team members that can lead to higher levels of achievement through motivation to get the job done that benefits everyone involved.

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To help celebrate this weekend's annual event and all the "trick-or-treating" activities, I've finished posting my newest success wallpaper entitled, "No Fear", making this my 96th addition to my gallery overall.

I wanted to have something like this up last year, but it just didn't pan out. So, with this wallpaper, I've completed my list of wallpapers based on topics that relate (or could relate) to holidays and other special celebratory occasions. There are more of course that I could do, but the ones I really wanted to do are now done. In a few days, I will be making a special page that will just highlight the holidays I've based wallpapers on. So check back real soon.

I wish you all a safe and happy weekend. Just try not to eat too much candy.

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