Today Matters
Today matters. It is important. Why?
1. You are alive vs. the alternative
You are a living, functioning and vital part of the world. You are needed and necessary. No one can do the things that you do in the unique way that you do them.
2. Today provides new opportunities – you can change and make changes
You can make changes – today. Yesterday’s mistakes are gone. Today is yesterday’s “do-over”. Use the opportunity of today to make corrections and alterations, so that your tomorrows will be like you want them to be.
3. Today gives you the chance to say I’m sorry for past wrongs you’ve committed
Amend mistakes. Apologize for misdeeds – then get busy living in today.
4. Today is a new starting point for the rest of your life
Today is a great day. Focus on the moment. Yesterday is gone, you cannot change it. The best you can do about yesterday is comment on it. Don’t waste your time and opportunities focusing your attention on the things that you cannot alter.
Today is a great day. Use it to your advantage. Tomorrow will be the result of what you do today. Therefore, today will always be more important than tomorrow because tomorrow owes it’s existence to today.
If today was your last day:
- Would you go to work or would you pursue the things that you are passionate about?
- What would be your greatest regret - the things that you did or didn’t do?
- Would you give someone “the finger” for cutting you off in traffic or would you let it ride?
- Would you spend your last day watching television or would you take a look out of your window and see reality?
- Would you call your mama or dad?
- Would you right any wrongs, say “I’m sorry”?
- Would you yell at your kids for tracking mud through the house or hold them tightly and make sure they know how you feel about them?
- Would you obsess about what others think about you?
- Would you be thankful that you pursued security instead of your dreams?
- Would you be at the bar instead of with your family?
- Would you work overtime?
Today is a great day because it is your day. You decide what it will be. Will today be the beginning of a new and better you? Will today be the same as yesterday?
Use today to provide yourself with a better tomorrow.
What’s on your life’s “to-do” list?
Most people are wondering, “what is a life to-do list?” Basically, you sit down and make a list of all the things that you would like to do or accomplish before you die.
- climb a mountain
- become president
- jump out of an airplane
- make a million dollars
There is a recent movie that takes a hard look at the advantages of creating such a list. It is entitled “The Bucket List”, and it stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
What’s on your “to do” list?
Nothing? For most, that is the answer. To them, this is a silly notion and certainly not worth their precious time. The truly sad thing is that these same people will waste a good portion of their lives “watching” fairy tale productions (television) of others, doing extraordinary things with their lives and all the time they’re thinking, “I’d really like to be doing that”.
You are a goal seeking organism
People are happier and more productive when they have a goal to pursue. I believe that this is the reason that so many people lead lives of “quiet desperation”. There is an inner conflict between what they want to do and what they believe they should be doing or are capable of doing.
When you have a goal, you move with purpose. Your life and actions are calculated and planned so that you can move closer to your desired outcome. Life has meaning – because you have created it’s meaning. And along the way:
- you will do extraordinary things
- visit fantastic places
- meet unique people
- discover new and ancient cultures
- learn diversity
- create a lifetime of stories for your children and grandchildren
- you will be envied for having the guts to live life on your terms
- you will live your life as life is meant to be lived (not observed from the “easy” chair)
What do you “want” to do?
You get to choose what goes on your life’s to-do list. Let your mind run free. Take a few minutes to write down all of your dreams and hopes. This simple act can be the beginning of your fantastic life.
Regrets
As a middle-aged man, I’ve got as much life left to live as I’ve lived already. I’ve still got a lot of things left on my “to-do” list. But, as I look back at my life so far, it’s not the things that I’ve done that I regret. It is all the things that I haven’t done, that I wish that I had done, that causes me the most sorrow.
When your life is over, will you have done all the things that you wish you had done? Whose fault will it be? Get busy working on your “to-do” list. Life is about doing – not watching!
Underdogs and entrepreneurs have “great hearts”
We all love stories about underdogs. This is how you can explain why movies like “Rocky”, “Rudy”, and “Hoosiers” do so well at the box office. There is something very inspiring about watching the “little guy” overcome adversity and go on to make a great showing of himself or herself. It is pure motivation!
I am inspired because the underdog has the one trait that cannot be taught – heart! This quality reveals itself in the following ways:
1. Underdogs and entrepreneurs are willing to do whatever is necessary.
Like the underdog, entrepreneurs understand that their success is a directly related to the amount of time they spend learning, training and developing their skills. Entrepreneurs know that in order for them to succeed, they alone are responsible. They do not wish to and cannot “pass the buck”.
- We (entrepreneurs) like to create. But creation is just a small part of the process of becoming successful. Most people can create, but few ever follow through with their ideas. In my experience, almost everyone has had a great idea. However, the comfort of mediocrity, the stability of the status quo or the fear of the unknown keeps so many people in their rut, that most of these great ideas never see the light of day.
- Entrepreneurs are devoted to learning. We do the research. We know that in order to succeed, we must arm ourselves with as much knowledge about our prospective business or idea as possible. This is a necessity because we are likely to have to explain to investors:
- what our idea is
- what the market outlook for our business or idea is
- whether any competitors exist and what their market share is
- why our idea is better than our competitors
- what our competitive advantage is
- If no business model exists for our new idea, we are willing to develop one. I am faced with this quandary right now. I am involved in the development of a great and unique idea. However, because it is unique, we have to develop a plan to implement it. The answers don’t just fall out of the sky. You have to work long hours, but you understand this and this willingness to do whatever is necessary is what coaches like to call having a “great heart”.
2. Underdogs and entrepreneurs don’t quit.
Like the underdog, entrepreneurs refuse to quit before acquiring their goals. Quitting is not in us. I have always been involved in athletics and as a result, I am a highly competitive person. It is part of who I am. In high school, I played football on a team that was not championship quality. Consequently, we lost more games than we won. I could see heads drop and eyes glaze over late it the games when we were behind. That was my first experience with people who did not have the heart of a champion. It was then and is now, an unfathomable idea to me. How do you just quit?
- Quitting becomes habit forming. My parents explained to me at an early age that quitting was not an option. If I signed up to participate in some event or sport then I was expected to fulfill my obligation. This quality was further instilled in me by my father who was a drill instructor in the Army. After I reached the age of about ten, during the summer months when I was out of school, my father would sometimes let me go to work with him. He would let me participate in physical training right beside grown men. I loved every minute of it. It was also the first time that I ever witnessed someone giving up during training. I did not like it then and I don’t like it now!
- Quitting sets a bad example. My daughters watch me. They want to know about Daddy’s “businesses”. They are almost five and seven. If I quit, what does that show my daughters?
- It’s O.K. to quit if things get hard?
- That I am frivolous and don’t take my obligations / commitments seriously?
Underdogs and entrepreneurs know that quitting never leads to winning. Don’t quit.
3. Underdogs and entrepreneurs believe that they can win.
I have a hard time explaining this concept to some people. There is this feeling that overcomes me and lets me know that I will accomplish any goal that I have set for myself. If you have read the book “The Secret”, then you have some kind of idea of what I am trying to say.
- I know that people and events are conspiring to help me reach my goals.
- I know deep inside that I am and I will be successful in all my endeavors. This self knowledge is an inner confidence that is not based on what I can do, but on what I am and that by believing in myself and others, my success is a foregone conclusion.
- I know that I attract to myself the things necessary for my success. If I need something, it will reveal itself to me.
- I know that I am a small part of a greater plan and I am willing to shoulder my part of the load.
- I know that I am successful and I will continue to be successful as long as I keep my priorities on helping others reach their goals.
Underdogs and entrepreneurs have great hearts. They are willing and able to work hard, they never, ever quit, and they know that their efforts will be rewarded. Be an underdog. Overcome your obstacles and reach your successes.
High income potential in a field in which you are already an expert - SALES
High Income Potential
Have you ever thought of trying to make your living by selling? If you are very good, your income potential is unlimited. But, you must have thick skin. That means that you must have little or no fear of failure and you must be able to absorb rejection without taking it personally.
Everyone is a salesman
Few realize it, but everyone is a salesperson. That’s right. Everybody is selling something. Does that sound like a broad statement to you? It is a fact that is so obvious we tend to overlook it. Want proof? Consider these examples:
- A suitor tries to sell himself and his attributes to his potential bride.
- A wife sells her husband on the idea of taking a Disney vacation before the children become too old and are no longer impressed by the magic.
- A teen tries to sell his/her parents on the idea of going to a party that “all the kids are going to.”
- A teacher sells his/her students on the need to and the joys of learning.
- Bosses sell increased production, higher efficiency, fewer accidents and less scrap.
- Preachers sell religion.
- Bankers and credit card companies sell money.
- Entrepreneurs sell ideas, products and services.
Everybody is selling something to somebody. It’s called the art or science of persuasion. You are trying to persuade someone to:
- believe in you
- believe in something you can do
- believe in something you can provide
- believe in something that you believe in
Ways to increase your persuasive ability:
- Believe in yourself. This is the number one prerequisite for selling anything. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will believe in you. Without a strong faith in yourself, you lack conviction. Without conviction, you will not be taken seriously.
- Believe in what you are selling. This is implies that you must have a good working knowledge of your product. There are very few people who cannot recognize B.S. when they hear it. If you don’t believe in your product, you will not be able to convince anyone else to believe in it.
- Create a pleasant atmosphere. Don’t be pushy. No one likes to be sold. Simply speak plainly in laymen’s terms. Describe the product or service, make the benefits known and explain why they need it.
I’m sure that there are more or better techniques, but this is my short list of no pressure persuasion tips and these seem to work for me.
The Greatest Success Story…that You’ve Never Heard!
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING CONTACTS SOUPORNUTS.COM
On Nov. 30, 2007, I received an email from an associate director of marketing with Doubleday. She asked me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing a book entitled Make the Impossible Possible by Bill Strickland. Due to the high volume of orders that we had been receiving for the Rotater, I did not have the time to respond to her offer. However, at the end of December, I called this marketing director and told her that I would like to read this book and I would be happy to provide my thoughts about it. I received Make the Impossible Possible – One Man’s Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the Extraordinary, the next day via FedEx.
DISCLOSURE
I do not know how or why I was chosen. Since I was contacted through the contact page of soupornuts.com, I can only assume that it is because soupornuts.com is a personal development blog.
I have received no compensation of any kind for this review.
WHO IS BILL STRICKLAND?
- a product of inner-city Pittsburgh
- a resident of inner-city Pittsburgh
- a teacher
- a mentor
- a commercial jet pilot
- an social entrepreneur
- a facilitator
- most of all he is a dreamer, visionary and role model
IT ALL STARTS WITH PASSION
Every dream, hope, idea or goal that is achieved is dependent on passion. This story is no different – it’s about the passion of Bill Strickland. His passion and mission is to help people turn turn their lives around.
Bill says in the book, “The story I have to share with you is the story of the pursuit of one unrealistic, impractical, outrageous dream after another, and the remarkable consistency with which those dreams have come true…..That’s the essential lesson of my life and of this book: that each of us can achieve the “impossible” in our lives.”
PASSION CREATES
Bill Strickland’s passion for helping led to the creation of the Manchester Bidwell Center in Pittsburgh – a state of the art facility that offers job training for careers in:
- chemical laboratory technology
- culinary arts
- horticulture
- office technology
- medical
As well as classes for students in:
- ceramics
- photography
- digital arts
- design arts
SOME IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS
- over 90% of the kids who attend classes at the Manchester Craftsman Guild go on to receive their high school diploma
- 85% of these students continue their education after high school by enrolling in college of some other program of higher education
- 80% of adult students complete their vocational training
- 86% of these adults who complete their training find jobs
MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK
I am a voracious reader, and once I started this book, I simply could not put it down. It reached me on a number of levels.
- It’s the remarkable story of a high school kid who sidestepped whatever kind of life that ghetto living could throw at him and went on to create an exceptional life for himself by helping those around him.
- It’s the inspiring story of always keeping your dream – of not allowing others to determine what you are capable of accomplishing.
- It’s about the establishment of the understanding that what Bill has accomplished can change the world. (If this seems laughable to you, then read the book to see who has partnered with Bill as they seek to establish development centers like the Manchester Bidwell Center all over the world.)
RECOMMENDATIONS
Do yourself a favor. Read this book. It will inspire and motivate you, while at the same time teaching you many of the principles needed to establish and run a profitable business. You won’t regret it.
Six barriers to successful living
Why haven’t you achieved your potential? Why are others achieving more and better results than you? What’s holding you back? Simple questions – not so simple answers. Here’s a short list of obstacles that prevent you from achieving greatness:
1. You are scapegoating through life.
You have convinced yourself and everyone who will listen that all of your problems are caused by someone else or something else. Everything (at the very least, most things in your mind) are beyond your control.
Man, it depresses me just to write this stuff down. I can’t imagine how someone who truly believes this crap, must feel.
Napoleon said,
“I create the circumstances that affect me.”
This is true. It’s a fact, “stuff” happens to everybody – You are not special. At least, not in that sense. The universe is not picking on you. Crap hits everybody. Make up your mind to deal with it and then deal with it.
Accept responsibility for your actions or more likely your inaction. Decide that you are not going to take it anymore. Then don’t take it anymore. The simple fact that you are reading this is evidence that you are searching for direction. Here it is: You have every right to be successful in life. Make it your quest to soar above your present situation. Once you make a decision and begin to search for answers, the help you need will be revealed.
SOLUTION: Decide to be the master of your destiny or relegate yourself to being pushed around by circumstances beyond your control. Take control of your life. It’s really up to you.
2. It’s all about me – you are self-absorbed.
You know who you are. You get bored when someone else is getting the attention. You have the best stories (we’ve heard you one-up everybody). It’s always all about “you”.
Here is a wake up call: You are boring and dull. The only reason we listen to you is because either we are too nice to walk away or we realize that the politics of the organization we are a part of would be violated.
Your potential is diminished because you don’t understand that you cannot influence others when it’s obvious that you don’t care about them. Zig Ziglar said, “You can get anything you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.”
SOLUTION: In order to help yourself, you must help others. There’s no better long-term strategy to achieving your success. As Dr. Phil would say, “It ain’t about YOU!” Become a listener and a people person. Help others and then help yourself indirectly.
3. You allow others to make your life decisions.
You know how it goes; someone (Mom, Dad, or whoever you deem as influential) says you should do “this or that” with your life. Why? How do they know what you want? Or how you feel?
The family needs you to become a lawyer, or doctor, or accountant, or football star or whatever. “If you want me to pay for your college, then you’ll major in what I tell you to major in”.
To some of us, this seems absurd, but it happens. Really. Here’s a secret, if you are not happy, then you will not be able to make anyone else happy. The only thing that is sure is that by compromising you desires for someone else you will be filled with resentment and hurt.
Eventually, those emotions will be revealed.
SOLUTION: Why not cut to the chase and deal with it now? You’ll be happier in the long run and probably save a heap of money in psychoanalyst fees.
4. You are filled with subconscious self-doubt.
You are filled with doubts and thoughts of inadequacy. You feel un-deserving. If you don’t believe in yourself, then why should I? Or anyone else for that matter?
The short answer is that no one will believe in you. By the simple act of thinking self-deprecating thoughts, you have defeated yourself, regardless of your abilities.
Everyday, average people just like you and me have fantastic, original, creative thoughts and ideas. But just as quickly, they are dismissed and discarded for the simple reason that they must be of no value if a simpleton like you thought of them.
People tend to overestimate the talent, ability and intelligence of others and then compound the problem by underestimating their own attributes.
SOLUTION: Read “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Vincent Peale. It is a classic and deserves to be. Learn some meaningful affirmations and use them. Become a true believer – in yourself.
5. Your are afraid.
I am not even going to attempt to list the wide variety of fears that hold people back.
SOLUTION: You must think of fear as the fence that keeps the herd in the pasture of mediocrity. You were not built for mediocrity. You are unique and you have unique abilities – use them.
6. You have no clear goals.
At least you are not alone. Studies and statistics that have been repeated many times prove that only 3–5 percent of the population have a tangible, written set of goals. Remarkably, this is the same percentage of financial independent people in the U.S. and world.
Do you think there is a correlation? It’s a no-brainer.
SOLUTION: Write down your goals and go over them daily. It will change your life.
Are you a “great” thinker?
There is a constant conversation within our minds, yet we seldom take the time to consider how great an impact it has on our lives. Some of history’s great thinkers realized that our outward life is an expression of our inward conversations and made statements like:
“You are what you think about all day long.”
“You are the sum of your thoughts.”
“Your tomorrow is based on today’s thoughts.”
These are quotes that those who study inspiration and motivation recognize and have heard or read many times. I can’t remember who said each one of them, but I believe that they are factual. I believe that our thoughts produce our lives. Something that is not tangible (our thoughts – you cannot touch one) creates something that is tangible (our lives). Something being created from nothing. That’s a post for another time.
Can we overstate the importance of developing our thinking ability? I don’t believe that we can. But many people blindly rush through life without any idea that they can and do control their own destiny. We’ve all heard, “your future is in your own hands.” However, I think it would be more accurately stated, “your future is in your mind” or in how you choose to use your mind. Here are four ways that you can use your mind to increase your thinking skills.
1. Expose your mind to good input.
I don’t advocate watching television, but I realize that it is a fact of life and we have two in our home. I do believe that they can be used to increase your thinking skills. If you must watch TV, then watch the channels and programs that will promote your thinking. National Geographic, Animal Planet, TLC, Science, Discovery, HGTV, PBS, CNBC. business and financial programs.
Just as lying around on the couch is detrimental to your physical condition, so to does watching crap lead to mental ineptitude. Read more:
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books
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blogs
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magazines
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technical manuals
Find a topic that interests you and become an authority on it.
Ask yourself the following question. If you were at a dinner party could you participate intelligently in conversation about:
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the current political climate, political races or political policies
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your governments involvement in foreign policy
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the war in Iraq
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inflation
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unemployment
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new trends in business
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emerging technologies
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economic growth and development
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books on the best sellers list
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the current “hot” movies
Would you be able to hold up your end of an interesting and stimulating conversation or would you be relegated to nodding and smiling, while hoping that no one asks for your opinion?
Excluding the networks that I have mentioned above and a few news programs, television seldom provides the subject matter for a stimulating and intelligent conversation.
2. Get out of your comfort zone.
Visit a museum, then visit another. Take your children to the zoo, a planetarium or an aquarium. Discus science, technology, politics or religion with your family. Set aside a specific time each week for all family members to present something new they learned during the past week. Then discuss that “new” idea or concept in detail. Ask questions.
Show your children that you are a multi-faceted individual who has thoughts, ideas and great thinking skills. Children emulate what they see and who knows, you may inspire a future Nobel prize winner.
Show your child that there are no benefits in being ignorant. It may look cool on TV, but in “real life”, it’s just sad and economically depressing.
3. Spend some time with good thinkers.
This is almost a no-brainer. You become like the people you hang around. How many times did you hear your mother say that? Guess what? She was right.
I am fortunate in that I am part of a group of thinkers who constantly force me to keep up or get left behind. These are my inner circle and they poke, prod and test my thinking. Each one is very intelligent and each has their own special interests and areas of expertise. But we all make it a point to expect great thinking from each other and typically, you get exactly what you expect.
Good thinkers provoke good thinking. They don’t just ask for your opinion, they expect you to justify and defend it. They test you. Because of my group, I am a better thinker.
Look at the people who occupy space in your life. Do they encourage progressive thinking? If not, you don’t need to get rid of them, but you do need to seek out people who will stimulate your mind and add them to the people you associate with.
4. To stimulate creative thinking, get out of your rut.
By rut, I mean your unconscious, habitual ways of drifting through your daily life. If you stop to think about it, I’ll bet:
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you get dressed in the same way everyday
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you brush your teeth and comb your hair with one or the other hand, but always the same one
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you take the same path to work
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you arrive at about the same time everyday
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…you get the picture.
Being habitual is not conducive to creative thinking. Being different is. Make it a point to do anything and everything differently. This forces your brain to get off of autopilot. Do you remember the act of brushing your teeth this morning? What were you thinking? Chances are, you don’t remember because you were on autopilot.
Anytime that you do things differently, you force your brain into action. It has to adapt. Create new neural pathways. Validate new actions and make adjustments. Doing things differently forces you to “see” things differently. Seeing things differently leads to new and creative insights.
Brush your hair with your less dominant hand ( you can go back over it with the other one later ), change priorities, change pathways, change your life.
Your mind is your most powerful tool for creating the life you desire
It has been estimated that we have about 60,000 thoughts a day. How many do you remember? How many were remarkable? Isn’t it amazing how our mind transitions smoothly from one thought to the next? Each new thought is seamlessly and effortlessly tied to the previous thought and provides the springboard for our next thought.
Take a moment to think about your thinking skills and realize that it is your greatest asset. Your thoughts today will produce your life tomorrow therefore, mediocre thinking today will produce a mediocre tomorrow.
Mediocrity is not acceptable!
Life is change and change is life
Change is inevitable. Change is necessary – most of the time. Change can occur in the blink of an eye. Whether you react or respond to change determines whether change is good for you.
Michael Segal’s life was changed in the blink of an eye by the twitch of a finger on a trigger. Michael Segal’s body was affected, but his spirit, his drive and his determination was not. He adapted, he overcame and he flourished. Watch this video and be inspired to be all you can be.
Tags: change, Michael+Segal, inspiration, motivation
Do you have what it takes to succeed?
To hear people talk, you would think that success is a mythological term – something that other people can get, have or acquire, but not themselves. Why not? Why can’t everyone succeed?
While we’re at it, let’s go ahead and admit that we are talking about financial success – that just-out-of-our-reach condition of financial security. The place where income exceeds expenses and results in a surplus of money that provides you with options like:
- driving the type of vehicle you would choose if money was not object
- vacationing when and where you want to
- providing your children with an education that is free of many of the public school distractions
- becoming involved in the community
- living in the neighborhood / city / country of your choice
- sharing your skills
Do you have what it takes to be successful? Ask yourself the following questions, be honest and then decide if you have what it takes.
1. Are you a self-starter?
Successful people take the bull by the horns. They:
- get to work on time (but early is better)
- volunteer to take on the “hard” jobs
- don’t give a crap what everyone else thinks about their desire to “get ahead”
- produce well developed ideas and the plans for implementing them
- don’t stand around the shop / water cooler / coffee machine wasting time discussing their latest dating escapades, the current “hot” sitcom, plans for the weekend or the latest office / shop gossip
- pay attention and they take notes – lots of notes
- are focused on achieving the goal or objective
2. Are you a visionary?
Successful people have a vision and they project a mental picture of the future they desire. When you create a vision of what you want, you automatically begin to formulate the plans to make your vision happen
The difference between the “average joe” and those who acquire financial security is that:
- for the “average joe” this is just a daydream and it is discussed in day-dreamy terms. One day – someday – hopefully – if everything comes together – when my ship comes in – when the kids are gone to college – when I have more time – yada, yada, yada. Let face it, for the “average joe” it “ain’t gonna happen”. That’s why he / she is the “average joe”.
- for the successful person their vision is a destination that they are on the road to arriving at. They complement their vision by have props that continually keep their goal in sight. These are the people who plaster their office / work area with pictures of their dreams. They post encouraging quotes. They read about other successful people. They attempt to motivate others, because in doing so, they keep themselves motivated.
3. Do you have the needed “people skills”?
Successful people understand that “it ain’t about themselves”. Like Zig Ziglar says, “You can have anything in life that you want, if you will help enough other people get what they want”.
Its called the Law of Reciprocity. When you help someone else, this creates a desire in the other person to do something to help you and “even the score”. This desire is not an overt one – it is more of a subconscious emotion. But all successful people recognize that by helping others, you are helping yourself.
Look at all the successful people that you know. How do they interact with others. Do they stand around and wait for other people to “pay homage” to them? I doubt it.
- They are the people you see approaching with their hand out ready to firmly shake your hand.
- They look you in the eye and “lock” on to what you are saying.
- When they speak with you, you get the feeling that you are the most important person in the room.
- They “listen” actively, hear what you are saying and they understand.
- They follow-up. This says that you are important and it demonstrates your importance to them.
- They are open to intelligent input / ideas.
4. Do you think on paper?
This simple concept is probably the most important. All successful people take notes because they are not vain enough to think that they can remember everything. Making notes:
- keeps your eye on the ball – you stay focused on the important stuff and are not sidetracked by the immediate emergency
- allows you to record your ideas
- allows you to schedule your day
- keeps the project moving in the right direction
- allows for follow-up
Is this all that there is to being successful? No way, but it’s a start. If you have these characteristics, then you are on your way. If you don’t have these traits, then I suggest that you begin to acquire them – IF YOU DESIRE FINANCIAL SECURITY!
Get a clue - you are responsible for your life!
Do you remember the little old lady in the Wendy’s commercial? The one that was always asking everyone, “Where’s the beef?” Well, I’m going to tell you! Are you ready? O.K. Here’s the beef – you are responsible for your life!
You choose your life and how it will be lived
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You choose your physical condition – yes, I know that some people are genetically blessed or cursed, depending on your viewpoint. But your genetics are not an excuse to wallow in self-pity while wishing and hoping your were in better shape. I have found that people will remain in whatever condition that they are currently in until that condition becomes so uncomfortable either mentally, physically, financially, emotionally or spiritually that they can no longer tolerate it. I am not saying that you will ever be a world-class athlete, but is that your ultimate goal? Or do you wish to be able to extend your life and the quality of it? Get off the couch, get out of the kitchen, turn the TV off – exercise, play, garden, walk, jog, play a sport, take up a hobby, play with your kids/grandkids – but do something! You are not a human-being, you are a human-doing.
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You choose your level of financial prosperity – if you don’t like your financial situation, then go to the bathroom and scream at the person staring back at you in the mirror. Edison said, and I am paraphrasing, “If a man did all that he was capable of, then he would literally astound himself.” Are you astonished with your accomplishments? The sad thing is that even though we are all capable of “astounding ourselves”, we don’t because it looks like work and effort will be involved.
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You choose your outlook on life – are you a grump, grouch or nay-sayer? You can change, if you want to. How many financially successful people, who did not inherit their money, do you know who have a pessimistic attitude? For me, the answer is zero. You simply cannot be inspiring and motivating to others while bemoaning your condition in life. People will not buy anything from this kind of person. Not products – Not services – Not ideas. Read about people who have overcome hardships and obstacles to achieve success in their lives. Fill your mind with quality information and knowledge. Sometimes changing your friends, associates or surroundings is the answer. But do something different if you want things to be different. You cannot progress and remain the same. Change requires effort.
Bad things happen to everyone
I know for a fact that “bad” things have occurred in your life. Well guess what, I know this because “bad” things happen in everyone’s life. It’s called LIFE – and it requires your active participation.
Most people spend their lives blaming someone else for their lot in life. Maybe we should all have a “pity” party and moan and groan to each other about how bad, hard or difficult our situation is.
The fact is that if there is one person who has faced the same hardships (or even worse hardships) as the ones that you face and they were able to overcome those trials, then you do not have a valid argument for wallowing in self-pity. If they succeeded then you can too. How?
- Make up your mind to overcome – the first step is the hardest step, but you only have to take it one time. It is also the most rewarding step because with that step, you realize that you can accomplish the next step. You will begin to rebuild your life into the kind of life you want, one step at a time. The key is to make progress daily. No matter how small that progress is. Eventually you will be where you want to be.
- Establish or find a support system – find a group of like-minded individuals (people who share the same issues as you). Learn when and where they meet. Go to their meetings. Sit in. Become accustomed and participate. Tortured souls typically find peace with each other because they can relate. Allow yourself to be helped, then in turn help another.
- Share your experience – Once you’ve crossed the abyss, give something back. Record your thoughts and share them. Look for opportunities to listen and be available to those who remind you of your former self. It is when we are giving that we are truly human.
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