The Power of Choice!

The Power of Choice!

Make no mistake about it - the power of CHOICE is a very POWERFUL thing we all possess!<>

Some treat this possession with great care while others use it lightly - not understanding (or, perhaps, not caring) the power of this possession.

This great possession - the power of CHOICE - will determine the direction of your day, week, month, year and life. Now, will anyone try to tell me that this is NOT a great and powerful possession?

You have it and I have it. We all have it. We all use it or abuse it.

What about you?

Now listen, in order for all of us to "get real" with this and in order for me not to come across as unrealistic I must say that there are times that we make wise choices and there are times that we make unwise choices.

Just because we may understand the POWER of choice does not mean we will always make the best choice. Aren't there times that you made an unwise choice but, at the time, you thought it was the RIGHT choice?

Those that abuse and fail to understand the power of this great possession are those that really don't put much - if any - thought and consideration into their choices. Many times they are perfectly happy to allow OTHERS to make their choices for them. This is a LAZY way to exist. I won't say it's a lazy way to "live" life because this is not living at all - it is existing.

So, where do you fit in?

Hopefully, even if you have been in the category of the "lazies" you have been working hard at transitioning to the category of one that truly understands the power of choice. But, again, please understand that this will not make you immune to bad choices.

What do YOU do when you discover that you have made a poor choice? Give up? Blame someone else? Sit down right where you are and throw a "pity party"? All of the above?

Here's the oddity about choices. Once made and acted upon, they cannot be changed. (Notice this - they can be made and changed BEFORE they are acted upon, but once they are acted upon, there is no changing them). HOWEVER...even once they have been acted upon and you realize it was a BAD choice, you CAN go back and decide to choose a different path.

That, in itself, is VERY POWERFUL!

Now, even though we can go back and decide to choose a different path doesn't mean that all of the impact of the bad choice will disappear. It won't!

But, here is a choice even about that: Even with the impact of a bad choice raining down on your head you have two choices - 1. Stay there and have your "pity party" while you suffer the negative consequences OR 2. Realizing that you are going to deal with the consequences regardless, you can retrace your steps and go back and make a decision that will take you down a better path even while the impact of your original bad choice still comes down all over and around you.

So....are you ready for this? Even though you make a BAD choice you still have a CHOICE as to whether or not you go back and CHOOSE to correct your original bad choice!

Wow!

Too many people think that once they have made a bad choice that they are STUCK!

WRONG!

Now, again, consequences may have to be paid for a very long time. For example, maybe you are one of the thousands of people that got into a loan situation for a house that, once those balloon payments rolled around, found out you couldn't afford that house after all and you ended up going through a foreclosure. "OH NO! MY LIFE IS RUINED!"

No, it's not.

Yes, there will be CONSEQUENCES to pay for a very long time - but your life is not over and it does not prevent you from learning from the experience and now making wiser choices.

I know that to be true because I went through it about 20 years ago. Never forget, "As long as there is breath there is hope!"

If you have not done so, go and listen to the podcasts for this week and tie all of this in together. Even if you don't like where you are right now -- it's not the end! You CAN make corrections and changes (which, in itself is a choice) to improve your situation.

I'd love to hear from you at anytime with your thoughts and your own experiences in this area. Just shoot me an e-mail at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

Also, don't wait - it all begins TODAY!

And, as you go through your day with a positive mindset, don't forget to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

FutureYouUniversity.com

Are You Happy Here?

Are You HAPPY Here?

We have been discussing the and exploring the idea of WHERE YOU ARE in your life. Right now. Today.

With the thought of "You are Here!" we began to ask the question, "Where IS here?" and you have been encouraged to do a little honest digging to figure out WHERE "here" really is.

As hard as that may have been for some of you, the REALLY difficult part comes with the realization that "you are where you have been going". I both love AND hate that statement! I love it because it "cuts to the chase" and really gets right down to it. I also HATE it for the exact same reason!

When we strip away all of the excuses (yeah, I know, you might try to call them "reasons") and stop playing the "blame game" as to why we are where we are - there 's no one else to look at but ourselves. Ouch!

You are where you are because of the steps that you have taken along the way.

Another way to think about these "steps" is to use a different word instead. Let's try this - you are where you are because of the CHOICES that you have made along the way.

Now we're getting somewhere!

One of the things I did in today's podcast to help us understand this a little easier by using a "real world" example was to have you go back through your day - up to this point - and list all of the choices that you have made thus far.

This is the EXACT same thing we can do - and NEED to do - in order to really see why we are where we are. So, for an example, I will go back through my day up to this point and talk about some of the CHOICES that were presented to me along the way.

1. Setting the alarm - Now, first of all, THIS decision (choice) was made before I even went to bed last night. So, THAT was a choice made.

2. Alarm - yes or no? I also had several choices to make even though I had SET the alarm. I could get up EARLIER than the set time, I could get up when the alarm went off OR I could hit the "snooze" button once, twice or however many times. I actually chose to get up BEFORE the alarm went off and enjoyed a peaceful 30 minutes or so sitting out on the front porch in the cool of the morning.

3. Order of Getting Ready - Should I eat breakfast first or shower and dress first?

4. What for Breakfast - What should I eat for breakfast (MANY choices can be made here. As a matter of fact, you may have seen a commercial on television that talks about how making the right choice for breakfast may lead to making wise choices along the way).

5. What to wear - Now, I probably don't spend as much time on this as a lot of people but it is still a choice that presents itself daily.

6. What time to leave - Again, the same choices exist as getting up in the morning or ANYTHING to do with time. I could leave early, leave at the time I had planned, or - due to a lack of proper planning - leave late and be rushed.

7. At the office - I have several choices available to me each day (as do you) once I arrive at my office. What should I do first? Check e-mail? Check for phone messages? Write this blog? Reorganize my "to do" list?

That is where I am currently - going through my decisions on #7...obviously, right now I have chosen to write this blog.

Again, the same thing is true of our lives in general!

Whether you are happy with your "here" or not - it is important to see how you got where you are AND to correct, change and/or "tweak" possible unwise choices that you made along the way.

You see, on ANY of the decisions that we make during the day we can always go back - after examining these choices - and see what needs to be changed! For example, if we find ourselves constantly running late in the morning and being rushed then we need to CHANGE what we are doing in relation to #1 on the list above. Why? Because what we are doing is not working and, likely, we don't like the end result!

Even if you are HAPPY with your "here" you still need to go back and constantly check that you are staying on course and not picking up any bad habits that could derail your progress.

I came up with the following saying a couple of years ago and, as a matter of fact, if you are on Facebook you can find it as a "flair" by searching "choices". I'm not sure if there is a way to narrow that down even more - let me know if you have problems finding it. Here is what it says:

"All choices require a decision. All decisions are a choice."

Pure and simple. Straight to the point.

That's what we all need, friend. Let's stop making excuses, let's stop whining and complaining. Let's start taking ownership for what we have or have not done and where we ARE. Thing is, whether you want to take ownership or not - it's all yours.

So, if you're happy with your "here" - AWESOME! Keep up the great work, stay focused as move closer to your goals and dreams.

And, if you're not - what are YOU (yes, YOU) going to do about it?

We'll have that discussion in tomorrow's podcast and blog entry so, until then...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

How Did You Get Here?

Have you ever gone into a room and then forgot why you went into that room in the first place?

Oh, believe me - if it hasn't happened to you yet, it will! I have found that, the older I get, this seems to happen more often. And I don't like it!

Once, when I was in college, I took some sort of physical education class that involved a game played on a football field (I don't remember the name of the "sport") and combined elements of football, basketball (you could "dribble" the ball) and soccer. Really, it did! At one point in the game as I dove to make a spectacular catch in the end zone I struck my head on a telephone pole that was in one corner of the field.

The next thing I was aware of was my teacher leaning over me asking how many fingers she was holding up (yes, people really DO that) and my classmates all crowded around and looking at me as well. I knew how many fingers she had up but that was about ALL I knew! Class was dismissed and as I sat on the bleachers with my girlfriend I kept asking her why everyone was leaving and what had happened. I know I had to have gotten pretty annoying because I kept asking the same thing over and over again - "Why is everyone leaving? Why is class over? What happened? Where did I get this knot on the back of my head?"

I had no idea why I was no sitting on the bleachers instead of still participating in the game.

Now, that's excusable, right? I mean, I did receive a concussion and had a legitimate reason not to have any idea how I got where I was.

So, now let's get to the point of today's discussion...how did you get where you are today?

Again, when you look at the timeline of where you were when you began your journey to improve your mindset and your life and the desired destination on the other end...when you honestly determine WHERE you are you have to determine a few things about this discovery.

One of them - the point of today's discussion - is, how did you get here? How did you arrive where you are?

You may discover that you have not moved very much at all - WHY? What is it (the "how") that has caused you to move so little?

Let's hope that you have not found that you are actually in a "negative" situation. What I mean is a situation where you find that you have actually gone backwards in your journey. Even if that is so, you really should be asking yourself, "WHY did that happen and HOW did that happen?"

I saw a sign a couple of weeks ago that really hit it on the head. It read:

"You Are Where You Have Been Going"

Straight and to the point, wouldn't you agree? You see, when we get rid of all the excuses and quit playing the "blame game" we are left sitting alone with ourselves in this situation.

We are where we are because of the steps that we have - or have not - taken.

Often, when we lose or misplace an item we will go back and retrace our steps in an attempt to find that item, right? We will think about where all we have been and we will go back to each place - perhaps in the house - with the intention of finding that item somewhere along the way.

This is exactly what we need to understand in this situation. It is IMPORTANT to figure out WHY and HOW we got to where we are and the way to do that is to retrace our steps along the way.

Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." You are where you are because of the steps you have taken - or, again, NOT taken - along the path of this journey.

This is not always easy to accept! We don't like to admit our failures or that we have just been "lazy" in the process!

Hey, remember...the EASIEST thing to do is to give up and just slip back in to the "same ol', same ol' " - know what I mean?

Making a change in our lives (beginning with our minds) is a HARD process! It ain't easy!

The easiest thing to do is to follow the path of least resistance - DO NOTHING and go back to what you were doing before.

But think again about WHY you decided to make a change in the first place. REMIND yourself of that "why" - hopefully you wrote it down somewhere. If so, go back and read it again and get motivated to get back on your journey!

Tomorrow we will discuss the question, "Are you HAPPY with where you are?".

Be sure to join me on my NEW "High Five" podcast and then follow along in the blog.

Hey, all along your journey, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

You Are Here!

You Are Here!

Have you ever been at a theme park and, needing to know how to get to a particular ride, found one of those "you are here" maps? You know, the ones that show you where you are so that you can figure out how to get where you want to go. Make sense?

The same thing - same concept - applies to any journey you want to take using a map or a GPS device. In order to figure out how to GET SOMEWHERE you have to first determine WHERE YOU ARE!

Look around you and "see" where you are. I don't necessarily mean physically even though where you are physically is tied into this idea.

YOU ARE HERE!

Just picture yourself sitting right in the middle of that big star indicating where "here" is - there you are!

Here are some of the things we will be discussing this week: Where IS here? How did you GET here? WHY are you here and are you HAPPY with where you are?

Another visual image to consider is to think about your journey that you are on (you ARE on a journey whether you realize it or not, but it DOES help if you realize it!). I especially am talking to those of you that are attempting to take definite steps to improve your mindset and, thus, improve your life.

On a piece of paper (or on your computer) draw a straight line from left to right. On the left end put a small "x" and above that write, "where I was" and on the right end place another "x" and write "where I want to be". Now then, place a larger, red "x" where you think you are on this journey. Be honest with yourself - there's no one else to try to impress, this is for your benefit.

So...are you happy and/or satisfied with where you are?

Again, we will be talking more about WHY you are where you are and HOW you got there but, for now, really be trying to determine WHERE you are and how you feel about that.

Also, I mentioned in today's podcast that you might want to be working on filling in the blank on the following: "I am where I am because...................................."

(Be sure to read the extra note after I "sign off" from today's blog entry)

You may or may not have heard the phrase, "Where will you be when you get where you're going?" It's a good phrase and full of things to think about. HOWEVER, in this discussion we are not talking about where you are GOING...we're focusing on where you ARE. Right now. Today.

Think about that and be sure to join me again tomorrow as we continue this discussion. As always, I welcome feedback and your thoughts via e-mail: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

WHEREVER YOU ARE - "Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

------------------------------------ EXTRA NOTE ---------------------------------------

Today I introduced "Mike's HIGH FIVE" podcast.

What is it? It is simply a shortened version of my podcast - instead of 11 minutes I have now "power-packed" it into a 5 minute podcast!

Be sure to listen and send me some feedback on what you think!

You can either search iTunes for either Mike Spillman or Future You University OR just go to http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com and click on the podcast tab.

Thankful Celebration!

Thankful Celebration!

That's right, we're still celebrating here - celebrating another day of livin' and another day of life!

And, on this "Thankful Thursday" I want to connect that celebration to the fact that each one of us has SO much for which to be thankful!

No, I don't want to hear your "yeah, but" lines ("Yeah, but, what about this or that..."). I know life is harder for some than for others BUT you still have some things in your life for which to be thankful!

Number one being - YOU ARE ALIVE! And, that being so, today is MAGICAL, WIDE OPEN and you have the opportunity to TURN YOUR DAY AROUND!

"As long as there is breath there is hope!"

I talked to my friend with cancer last night. He just recently found out that he had cancer and he was really quite worried about it and - like many - already had a "worse case scenario" played out in his head.

He's losing his hair and has lost about 20 pounds due to the fact that his appetite has really been messed up due to the chemotherapy treatments and, on top of that, he has diabetes which is really also going nuts with all of this going on!

But, guess what? When I was talking to him last night he had a smile on his face from ear to ear! I wasn't able to have an "in depth" conversation with him to dig deeper but one thing he said was something along the lines of, "You know, along with the bad there is some good!" - HELLO?

I mentioned to him that his attitude seemed to be better NOW than it was when he first found out that he had cancer and he replied, "Well, I don't even feel like I have cancer most of the time. And, besides, what are you going to do?" In other words, he was indicating that he had MADE A CHOICE of how he was going to allow his disease to have an impact on his life.

I love it when I have the chance to talk to people like this - what a great, powerful and positive example for the rest of us!

Now, does he ALWAYS have that attitude? He'd be the first to tell you that he doesn't, especially on those days when the chemotherapy takes a toll on his body. BUT, my guess is that his attitude is positive more than it is negative.

Here's the kicker... this guy tends to be one of the most negative people I know. That's right! There have been times in the past when I have had to dismiss myself from being around him just because of the negative poison that was continually spewing from his mouth.

Amazing, isn't it?

Perhaps - and this is only MY thought on this - the cancer has caused this friend to really notice what matters and what doesn't and to be THANKFUL for another day of life.

What about you? What about me?

Days come and days go. Time moves on regardless of your circumstances. It's the same for each of us - for ALL of us.

What we do with that time is a CHOICE.

Why not incorporate THANKFUL CELEBRATION into your day - starting right now - TODAY?

And, as you do so - this WILL become a part of your life...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Keep on Celebrating!

Keep on Celebrating!

How is your celebration going today?

Are you allowing the negative things that surround you each and every day to get you down? Are you allowing it to sway you toward "stinkin' thinkin' "?

Remember, it's a CHOICE!

And, yes, I do realize it's easier said than done. But, honestly, isn't anything worthwhile easier said than done?

And yes, let's just get real here - sometimes no matter how hard we try, regardless of how much "good stuff" we fill our minds with, LIFE GETS US DOWN.

But, I'm simply here to try to encourage you to GET UP and not GIVE UP when that happens in your life!

Notice these words from the song, "Don't let it get you down...don't let it turn you around..."

Again, what we ALLOW these things to do in our lives (and TO our lives) is the main thing!

DON'T let it turn you around and send you in the opposite direction of your goals and dreams! Don't allow these things to persuade you to give up on your goals and dreams and head back to where you were before. DON'T DO IT!

And, then the last verse of this awesome song:

Well, I can't be bothered with sorrow - And I can't be bothered with hate, no, no
I'm using up the time but feeling fine, every day

YES, there are some very real emotions (sorrow) that can take the wind out of our sails...but, again, even allow those times to celebrate life! If you are mourning the loss of someone close to you - celebrate the memory of THEIR life and then allow the fact that you can share those memories with others and help that persons memory live on cause YOU to celebrate YOUR life!

Sometimes we call it "sorrow" though when we become discouraged and disappointed. We feel sad when, in reality, it may very well be such strong discouragement that we become depressed. Please understand that I'm not making light of this - I've been there! - but I still want to encourage you to NOT ALLOW THIS TO TAKE ROOT IN YOUR LIFE!

There is too much to enjoy and celebrate in this life to have time to allow the negative influences to take root and control our lives in this way! Whether it be sorrow, hate, discouragement, anger....the list can go on and on! And, the thing is - LIFE GOES ON!

I'm going to talk more about this tomorrow but the point is made here - we are "using up the time" one way or the other! Time comes and time goes. "Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday".

A day will come and go in the life of those focusing on the positive things of life as well as those that allow the negative things of life to take root and rule theirs.

By choosing to celebrate ANYWAY we can continue "feeling fine, every day"!

So, come on - get on up and KEEP ON CELEBRATING!

And, as you do so...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

I Just Want to Celebrate!

I Just Want to Celebrate!

So, what's the occasion? What are you celebrating? Birthday? Anniversary? Job promotion?

Here's the deal - why do we have to wait for those "special occasions" in order for us to celebrate? TODAY is - can be and should be - a day of celebration. Just because!

"As long as there is breath there is hope!"

That quote that I came up with way back in March of 2009 speaks to that very fact. LIVING and BREATHING is reason enough to celebrate!

The Bible says it this way, "This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Why not get in the "celebration" mood and mode?

I hope that if you have been listening to the podcasts for this week that you have enjoyed the energy with the new song I have been using for the introduction and close. The song is, "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth and you can even find a video I posted on the Future You University fan page on Facebook one day in the past couple of weeks.

I love the energy of the song! I love the PASSION of the song! Hey, I just LOVE THE SONG!

But the words...the words...yes, I even find a powerful message to help us stay focused and positive in songs like this!

Here is the basic premise of the song as shown in the chorus:

I just want to celebrate another day of livin'
I just want to celebrate another day of life

Just think about the POWER of this mindset in these words alone! The CHOICE to CELEBRATE another day of living and another day of LIFE!

Hmmmm....I wonder how your day would go if you approached it with this thought in mind? I wonder how your day would go if even five other people that you come across during the course of your day approached it with this thought in mind. What if everyone in your office had this mindset?

Hey friend, why not kick things off by making sure that YOU approach the day with this mindset?

I put my faith in the people - But the people let me down
So I turned the other way - And I carry on, anyhow

I actually already know the answer to this next question without ever hearing your voice, but here goes: Have YOU ever been disappointed in anyone in your life?

Of course you have! Now, the most important question on this is this: What did you do about it?

What good did it do to "stew" and "fume" about it? What good did it do to rant and rave to those around you about it? What good did it do...period?

Instead of letting those types of emotions poison both your mind and, yes, even your body - why not do what this song suggests and simply turn the other way and carry on....regardless!

Again, it's a choice that we all have. You can choose to allow the disappointment and hurt to have a deeper and further impact by allowing it to claim your mind and body for any length of time OR you can choose to "shake it off" and move on.

A friend of mine shared an acrostic with me one day - F.I.D.O. - "Forget It, Drive On!"

One other verse I want to use in today's discussion:

Had my head on the dollar bill - But the dollar bill flew away
But the sun is shining down on me - And it's here to stay

Now, as I mentioned in the podcast, I really have no idea what it means to have your head on a dollar bill. At first I thought that maybe it was a misprint but, upon looking at several different sources on the lyrics, they all say the same thing. I thought maybe it was supposed to be, "had my HAND on the dollar bill" - but I guess not! PERHAPS it is implying that this person had achieved a certain level of importance that would cause some to want to put his image on money. I really don't know.

However, I DO know the point!

Money, fame, fortune - if you achieve it you need to also understand that it is fleeting! Here today, gone tomorrow!

Some people don't handle that too well, do they?

What about YOU?

It doesn't have to necessarily be fame and fortune - it could be a job, a relationship and a wide variety of other things that can be "taken away" in a moments notice.

And, again, what you DO in response to this is a choice - YOUR choice!

I love the simplicity of this message - WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS?

We can focus on the disappointments and we can focus on the "what went wrongs", the "what if's" and the "only if I's" if we choose.

OR we can shift our focus and realize that we have survived and we WILL survive and that the sun is still shining - yes even in the midst of all of the mess - and it IS here to stay! Regardless!

FOCUS!

So, what will YOU decide to do today? Just focus on TODAY, remember?

Even in the midst of life's ups and downs we can still CELEBRATE! (Hey, where's that "bootie shake" music?).

And as you do so - this will come easily if you are celebrating - be sure to always...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

A State of Mind

A State of Mind

"When I fill out a form that requires me to put what state I live in, I don't know what else to put down but - 'The State of Confusion' ."

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, right? (insert "smiley face" here)

Last week I discussed the topic of ways to become "happier" - things we can DO that should bring a sense of happiness and well-being into our lives. Then on Friday, for the "Fun Friday" podcast I poked fun at the bottom 10 states that were listed for the 50 United States in order of "happiness" rankings.

I've joked about the fact that Arkansas was number 48 on the list of 50. Wow! I guess I just THOUGHT I was happy!

As silly as this sounds, there are MANY people that would look at the list I mentioned (find the link in the last entry before this one) and reason that if they would move to one of the states that are higher on the list than their own state - then they'd be happier!

Uh.... simply put: WRONG!

Yes, sure, there are some things that can make life easier and some places that can have a better job market and access to things that other places do not. However, from what I've learned, each place has their own pros and cons. Wouldn't you agree?

So, when you really consider this - it doesn't matter where you live! The "happiest state" would be your "state of mind"!

We've talked about this over and over and over again - it's all about your mindset and what you do to either have a POSITIVE or a NEGATIVE mindset.

So, friend... look around you and stop wishing that you were somewhere else. You are HERE and you are here NOW.

What you do about that fact is up to YOU and no one else.

Yes, you got it - it's all about CHOICE and it is YOUR CHOICE.

Isn't it interesting how it all comes down to this?

Listen to today's podcast for more thoughts on this topic and...as the old saying goes, "Bloom were you're planted!"

And, as you do so...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Week of July 12th - special message and link

Special Message and Link for the Week of July 12th

I will be gone on vacation for the week and won't be able to do a DAILY blog....HOWEVER, never fear!

I recorded my podcasts for this week in advance so I REALLY want to encourage you to be sure to listen to them and the additional thoughts I have on the material that I'm about to share with you here. (You can either find me on iTunes - search Mike Spillman OR Future You University....OR on the main website - http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com - click the podcast tab).

For this week I will be sharing thoughts on "5 Things That Will Make You Happier" from an article that was sent to me way back in February by one of my listeners, Mark Clark (thanks, Mark!).

You can find the actual listing and article by going here if you'd like to have the list to look over for yourself: http://www.livescience.com/health/how-to-be-happy-100222.html

Also during this week I will share with you a listing of all 50 states and their order of "MOST HAPPY STATES". Where does YOUR state rank? (You can actually cheat and look at the link that is connected with the story listed in the previous paragraph).

Anyway, be sure to follow along with the podcast and take a look at the link above and do a personal check-up in your own life on these five things!

And, don't forget...each and every day be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Drive Like There's No Tomorrow!

Drive Like There's No Tomorrow!

Have you ever lost your driver's license? I'm not asking if you've ever misplaced it - but have you ever had it taken away from you?

Once I got old enough to get even my learner's permit (had to drive with an adult licensed driver starting at age 14 and until I was 16) the worst thing my parents could do to me by way of discipline was to take my driving privileges away.

I've never had it taken away due to any problems with traffic tickets, etc. but, maybe you have. IF you obeyed the law at that point (and, many - if not most - don't) and did not drive, you found out what an inconvenience it was to depend upon others to drive you where you needed to go.

One of the saddest things to me is when a person gets to the point that, due to their age and declining abilities, they must surrender their license...usually unwillingly. Now, true, for the safety of all involved, this needs to be done and usually BEFORE it actually happens.

Regardless, it's sad.

The main reason it is so sad is because, usually, this is the last bit of real freedom that they have. Who WOULDN'T be reluctant to give that up? When they surrender their license and their driving privileges they now are pretty much totally dependent on other people for just about everything.

Do you realize how long it has been for them since this were true?

They can no longer do what they want to do when they want to do it or go where they want to go when they want to go!

What does this have to do with our "theme" for this week's topic? EVERYTHING!

It goes hand-in-hand with yesterday's thought about not expecting others to do everything for us but to "get behind the wheel" and take control of our own lives!

THIS IS NOT A BURDEN...this is a blessing, a privilege and a right!

Why in the world would you want to hand that over to anyone else?

Like the elderly person that wants to hang on to their driving privilege as long as possible (FREEDOM!) so should each of us do ALL that we can for as LONG as we can to make sure we are DOING ALL that we can to live the life of our dreams!

Do NOT surrender! Do NOT give up! Do NOT give in!

It is YOUR life! It is YOUR dream! It is YOUR goal!

Get behind that wheel, take control of your own destiny and "DRIVE" LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW!

(Yeah, I'm getting a little excited here!)

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and GO FOR IT!

And, hey, as you do so...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Get Out of the Back Seat!

Get Out of the Back Seat!

To be honest, I've never sat in the back seat of a "limo". Maybe one day I'll get the pleasure of doing so on a special occasion, but as of yet I've not done so.

Right now, as it is in my "normal" life I'd still rather drive than ride. Yes, I'm one of those "back seat drivers" that sits in the FRONT seat! But, even besides that, I'd rather drive and be focused on that than to sit idly in the passengers seat.

I can't even imagine what it'd be like to be driven around in the back seat of a limousine. I'm sure there's lots of work that could be done and caught up on during the ride, but I still can't even imagine that.

In today's podcast I tell the story of a guy that worked for one of our presidents and, as a perk of his position, he was driven wherever he wanted to go in the back of a limousine. When this president's term ended he was out of a job and back to "normal life" like the rest of us. He talks about how one of his first days at home when he was ready to go somewhere he went out to the car and automatically climbed into the back seat and waited for someone to drive him. Obviously that didn't happen and he was rudely welcomed back to the "real world".

So, here's the thought process for today...are YOU "sitting in the back seat" waiting for someone to drive you?

What do I mean? Well, let's do a short review of what we've talked about so far this week. On Monday I talked about YOU being in control of what "car" you drove each and every day in regards to either a positive or a negative attitude. Based on which one you chose you would likely notice lot of the same "automobiles" (positive or negative) all around you. You would tend to "see" the same thing that you were "driving". Yesterday I discussed the need for us to be "road ready" for the journey that each of us are on each and every day as we move on toward our goals and dreams. What are YOU doing to prepare?

So, here's the deal for today...when I talk about how important it is for YOU to "drive" your own "automobile" and how important it is to make sure that you are prepared for the journey and the roadblocks that may come along the way then I would hope that each of us would also realize the importance of US doing the actual driving!

GET OUT OF THE BACKSEAT and quit waiting for someone else to do the "driving" for you!

One of the dangers of buying and gathering great information in this area (Jim Rohn, Bob Proctor, Mike Spillman - snuck that one in there!) is that many tend to gather all of this information and almost expect their lives to automatically take off just from HAVING this information in their possession. They are "sitting in the back seat" waiting for someone else to drive their future!

IT WON'T HAPPEN!

Is it good to gather this information? Of course it is! That's part of the preparation process that I talked about yesterday! But when will you move beyond the preparation and actually move on to the DOING or the DRIVING?

C'mon...haven't you sat back there long enough - going nowhere - waiting for someone to "drive" for you?

Get out of the back seat and get behind the wheel...it's YOUR future!

And, as you "drive" be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Are YOU "Road Ready"?

Are YOU "Road Ready"?

No, I didn't ask if you were "road WEARY"...some of you may be if you are driving long distances this summer with your kids on vacation!

Continuing with the "theme" that I began yesterday in talking about us "driving" our vehicle of choice (either a positive or negative attitude), I want us to consider what we are (or aren't) doing to prepare ourselves for our daily journey.

My guess is that, if you HAVE gone on that family vacation, you probably had your automobile checked out to make sure everything was in good working order before you began the trip, right?

You wanted to make sure your tires were in good shape and that they had the right amount of air in them. You also wanted to make sure you had enough oil, antifreeze and even windshield wiper fluid for the trip. And, since it is summertime, you also wanted to make sure your air conditioner was in good working order.

You PREPARED yourself for the journey to come.

So, why should we do anything less when it comes to the journey we take each and every day? Why should we do any less when it comes to the journey we have chosen that will take us to our goals and dreams?

Too many people take off on this most important journey (yes, even our DAILY journey is of great importance - our days add up to weeks, months and years!) without proper - if any - preparation!

And we wonder why so many people - including ourselves - fail?

So, what do YOU need to do to prepare for the journey? What do YOU need to do to prepare for your journey TODAY?

You see, it's different for each one of us (to some extent) because each of us are in our own unique situation! Just like you would never take a luxury automobile on a cross-country "all terrain" road race, so will you not prepare yourself inadequately if you know you are going to be facing a LARGE load of negativity in your day.

Make sense?

If you tend to work in an environment full of negativity then you must REALLY make sure you have prepared yourself for this onslaught. It's kind of like putting on snow chains when you KNOW you are going to encounter those types of conditions -- you want to get as much "grip" as you can so that you don't slip and slide out of control.

You knew that I would say this to you sooner or later....it's up to YOU to prepare for YOUR journey!

No one else can do that for you and no one else WILL do that for you.

So, are you ready? Are you "ROAD READY" for the journey ahead today, this week, this month?

Are you "road ready" for the journey that is leading you toward your goals and dreams?

If not, how do you expect to make it to your destination?

Think about it and PREPARE for the journey! I'm here to help in any way that I can (part of the preparation process) but, again, it is totally up to YOU to get it done for yourself.

And, as you do so....

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

What Are YOU Driving?

What Are YOU Driving?

If you were driving the car you see pictured here, do you think you'd get noticed? Sure you would! Most people would be wanting to know how in the world you squeezed your body into that little bitty cartoon car!

In today's podcast I talk about how it seems that, when you purchase a certain type of automobile, you begin to notice how many of that same type of automobile you pass every day! Did they all of a sudden magically appear now that you own one of those types of automobile?

Of course not! They existed all along, didn't they? But YOUR focused changed because of what YOU were driving. Change your car and you will see the same thing happen again. At least that's the way it has been in my life and I don't think you and I are that much different from one another.

It's the same way with how we approach each and every day! It all depends on what you "drive" as to what you "see" and/or encounter during your day.

You've heard the phrase, "...got up on the wrong side of the bed", right? What does that mean? I never knew there was a "right" side and a "wrong" side, did you?

The idea behind that phrase is that the day did not start out very well for that person from the moment they rolled out of bed....must have been on the "wrong" side because if it had been on the "right" side then everything would be great! (Hey, if that's the way it worked I think once I discovered the "wrong" side, I'd make SURE I got up and out on the OTHER side every day!).

Whatever attitude you start off the day with will be the same attitude that you encounter from everyone and everything throughout your day. Haven't you noticed this already?

When you get up "on the wrong side of the bed" haven't you noticed how cranky your spouse and kids are? Shoot, even the cat and dog are kind of crabby! Then, as you go to work it seems that if EVERYONE got up on the wrong side of the bed! Hey, how did I miss that memo that today was "GET UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BED DAY"?

But then, one morning you strike it lucky and actually get up on the RIGHT side of the bed! (Have you noticed that you never hear that phrase though?). All is good, the birds are singing, the sun is shining and your whole family is happy! The people at work are happy - your whole world is happy!

What changed?

YOU DID!

That's right. The people around you - your family, your co-workers, etc. - are the SAME people that are around you each and every day. They were there yesterday, they are here today and they will STILL be there tomorrow!

But, it's what you're "driving" that has made the difference! Just like the cars that you "suddenly" notice because of what you are driving, your focus for your day - what you will SEE and encounter in those around you - will be determined by what you "drive" for the day.

Actually, to be more accurate, instead of saying what YOU drive, it should be what drives you!

And, yes, as always, this IS a choice!

It's as if you can walk into your garage and choose whether you want to drive an old clunker OR the car of your dreams! YOU decide what you will "drive" each day (or what "drives" you) by your attitude that you begin with each and every day.

You know it's true, don't you? You've experienced it too many times for you NOT to know it's true.

So, what will it be for you today?

Though it's not always easy, I KNOW you'd much rather drive the car of your dreams today...the positive attitude that will direct your focus on the positive people and things all around you as you go through the day.

Right?

And as you do so be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Live a Life of Truth

Live a Life of Truth

Truth.

One definition found at dictionary.com for the word TRUTH is "conformity with fact or reality".

That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? What we SAY or DO - if it's based on TRUTH - will conform with FACT or REALITY.

IF it's based on truth - don't miss that point!

All week long I have been discussing our tendency to live a life of lies in many areas and, particularly, in the area of our own progress or lack of it toward our goals and dreams.

We do it to make ourselves feel better yet, in the end, we actually feel worse. We not only make ZERO progress, we actually take several steps back when we live this life of deception.

So now - as always - it is totally up to YOU as to whether you want to keep living that way OR change and live a life of TRUTH.

Yes, sometimes the truth does hurt! But again, how has living a life of lies and following the path of least resistance worked out for you so far?

Unless you've gotten so far away from truth that you've become callous to it - the more you've lived a life of lies the more the truth hurts when you are exposed to it and challenged by it!

There's no where to hide when you remove the excuses, is there? It's basically you standing there naked before the TRUTH about you and your efforts.

But now think about it this way... this can be very exciting and one of those "life moments" that can change the course of your own personal history!

IF you decide to act upon it.

Once you begin to live a life of truth - even when it hurts and even when you'd rather take the easy way out and lie to yourself - the easier you will find it is to live this life of truth!

You will become disciplined and better prepared for this journey toward your goals and dreams.

Hey, have you ever began a workout in order to get in shape? Was it easy at first? Was it fun at first? Did you quit right off?

Many do quit too soon because of the very fact that it's not easy or fun. So, they give up and continue to live the unhealthy life that they have lived for so long and THOUGHT they wanted to get away from. Until they found out that it wasn't going to be easy!

But then there are those that fight through the pain and the sweat and the unpleasantness of getting your body to do what it is unaccustomed to doing - MOVING! Those that stick it out begin to see results and begin to find that the longer they do this exercise routine the easier it becomes. And, yes, torture becomes more of a challenge and even fun along the way.

Why? Because you're body (and mind) has begun to adapt and make the changes that come with the discipline practiced to fight through the first and most difficult part of the program.

So it is with living a life of truth.

You can give up and quit because it's not easy or you can tough it out and DISCIPLINE yourself to stick to your decision to make positive changes in your life.

And, yes, you CAN do it!

And I'm here to help you any way I can. Just remember that deception and denial will lead to nothing but disaster and that TRUTH can actually set you free!

Think about it and then begin to live a life of truth!

And, as you do so be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike