On Saturday, September 26, at 8:12 p.m., my second son, Weston Valor, was born. Talk about joy unspeakable!!

Many have asked why we chose the name Weston Valor, so I thought I'd share. Aside from the fact that Dona and I just really liked the name, we chose Weston for what it expresses. Quite literally, it means Western or "the West," which, in and of itself, holds little significance to us, but, historically, the West has always symbolized new things..... new lands, new ideas, new opportunities..... waiting to be explored, revealed, and achieved. When I think of the West, I think of Christopher Columbus who sailed the ocean blue to seek out a land unknown. I think of King David who spoke often of having a "new song." I think of every great inventor who, at some point in time before their noteworthy invention, chose to be daring and adventurous.

And, of course, Valor..... this name was inspired by one of my favorite Bible characters: Gideon. Gideon was referred to by God as a "mighty man of valor." In spite of being the youngest in his family, God had purposed in Gideon to achieve more than just the ordinary. He was infused with incredible potential and an unusual capacity to lead, which Gideon did not take lightly. Gideon overcame spectacular odds and performed unbelievable feats because of his courage and willingness to trust in the Lord.

That's basically it in a nutshell..... Weston Valor was named on purpose. His untold future is still yet before him, but my prayer is that his inquisitive nature will drive him toward uncharted territories, his capacity for being uncomfortable will motivate him to go against the current, if necessary, and his life's challenges will enable him to face the unexpected with confidence and courage.

Did I mention that I just like the name, too?

Clarity
Can you articulate a clear, realistic vision of your life 5, 10, 15 years from now? Stop reading this for about 15 seconds and think about that question. Where are you headin'? Most of us have a difficult time getting a clear picture of where we are at right now in this moment, let alone where we are going. Why is this? For many of us, including myself, it's..... Clutter. Clutter is that bad, sneaky, little demon that gets in the way of a clear perspective. It also has a way of zapping our energy as we try to work around it. We hang on to old stuff we really should throw away (guilty!), we burn a candle on both ends by filling our agenda with too many goofy, unproductive activities (guilty!), and we try to navigate through a jig-saw puzzle of scattered thoughts and intentions. When you're constantly contending with this kind of clutter, you'll never get a clear perspective to truly evaluate. Don't let needless clutter obstruct your vision, steal your resources, and make you an unproductive person.

Self-Awareness
The only person that can get you to where you want to be is.... YOU. Sure, you're going to need others, too, along the way. But it starts with an acute awareness - an awareness of your own personal and unusual potential and purpose. You must realize that the only driving force powerful enough to thrust you into your dreams is that force inside your heart and mind. Drain your mind of negative thoughts and laziness. Truth is, most people know exactly what they need to do to succeed, they just spend so much time thinking of reasons why they can't do them. Take ownership of your life and accept the responsibilities of what it will take to get you to where you want to go. Only YOU can do this.

Commitment
It's always easier said than done, right? In order to get control of your life, you must embrace the fact that it's going to require commitment - and not just a short-sighted, laissez faire commitment either. If you can't commit yourself to the changes you know you need to make over the next 1, 5, 10 years, chances are you're not going to accomplish anything you really want to. So don't kid yourself, if you're going to do something, commit to it - all the way to the end. If you're going to take the first step, envision yourself taking the last step, and then remove any mental barriers and obstacles that lay in between.

If you have too many irons in the fire, too much noise in the background, or too much junk in the garage (guilty, guilty, and guilty!), it's time to ease up on the accelerator, get a clear head, and start getting organized. Only when you are able to get a clear perspective can you begin to truly see yourself and get a sense of where you're going (or where you NEED to be going). So purge your mind of negative, defeatist, or unproductive thoughts. Clear your schedule if you have to. Have some alone time. Make some alone time. Whatever it takes so you can get a clear vision again and take control of your life.