The Last Hurrah

A Swift Kick in the Pants!

I'm a believer and I believe that God has a sense of humor at times. I'll explain more a little later - but first, let me set the stage.

You probably know from listening and/or following my blog that I have talked a long time about "stepping out" and making changes in MY life as I have encouraged YOU to not be afraid to STEP OUT and make a difference in your OWN life.

For me, I have made plans, set and reset deadlines to step away from my job as a minister. Hey, in my "religious circle" there are few - if any - benefits for us guys for retirement, insurance, etc. Too, it was just a feeling I had that it was time for a change.

Back a couple of years ago I began making plans on a professional motivational speaker career and I DO still plan for that to be a reality in my life but realized I needed more time and, honestly, some more $$ to make it happen.

A year ago today - as I type this on 8.20.10 - my wife had a heart attack and nearly died. As a matter of fact, she had to be "shocked" back to life at least 2 times that I know of. It was not due to poor habits like most - it was one of those freakish "1 in a million" type things. She survived and we were left with a HUGE pile of bills to pay ourselves. Remember, I said there aren't many benefits with my job.

Plus, on top of that, our youngest son just graduated from HS this past school year and, as a matter of fact, we took him to college yesterday (Thursday) to move in.

So, for one, my wife's "near death" experience opened our eyes to a lot of things as far as "stop talking and do whatever it is NOW" type stuff. Know what I mean? And, the bills also helped reinforce the idea that SOMETHING needed to be done to create more income.

So, when you put all of this together, I, again, have been talking about the "right time" to step away from what I'm doing and pursuing available opportunities full time.

Over the past couple of years I have set and reset several "deadlines" for this. They have come and gone. Recently I have even moved a deadline at least once just since actively pursuing opportunities in the area of real estate in this "delicate" market. I finally set a deadline for the end of this year BUT have also been talking with my wife about the fact that I WISH I could find a way to be free to go examine some of the properties I've found and - if they needed some repair - to be able to be there for an extended period of time (as needed) to get it done and ready for resale or whatever. But I just couldn't figure out how to get that done.

Now, here's where I see God's sense of humor come in. (Those of you that don't agree, that's fine).

This past Wednesday - one day before taking my son to college and us being "free" in that sense as far as not being held back here at all due to school - I was informed that I was being "let go" from my position.

HOWEVER, I was going to be compensated until the end of October - with NO OBLIGATIONS to the "present/former" job so that I could freely pursue other employment.

Yeah, I was shocked at first and then, it was like a burden had been lifted and a sense of peace came over me even in the midst of this discussion.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN WISHING FOR AND TALKING ABOUT!

To me, it's almost as if God (now, you have to know me and the fact that I have a vivid and humorous imagination) said, "Look, you've been talking about this for YEARS now. So, here you go (as he kicks me out the door) - THERE IT IS! NOW WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?"

It's really rather funny and, honestly, my family has actually been laughing about the whole thing off and on.

Is it scary? YES!
But is it exciting? DOUBLE YES!

So now - I have my wish and I MUST stop talking and start DOING what I have talked about doing for the past few years.

AND IT WILL WORK AND IT WILL HAPPEN and I already have some great possibilities lined up.

Now comes the ACTION!

Without that, everything is dead!

So....this ends THIS particular avenue in this journey with Future You University. As I said on the podcast - you have NOT heard the end of F.Y.U. - that I know for sure! (By the way, if you HAVEN'T listened to the podcast - be sure to do so!)

I do thank those of you that have encouraged me along the way and have also submitted material for me to use along the way. I hope I have been an encouragement and a help in giving you a push to keep going.

The page, http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com will still be available although it will not be available in the current format. It will go to a "free page", so there will be some ads on there that aren't mine and you may not have access to everything as you did before. So, on THAT particular note, if you haven't downloaded the FREE report and anything else that you may want to hang on to - DO IT NOW before it changes.

And so it begins FOR REAL -- nothing like a good, swift kick in the pants to get you going sometimes!

Remember, each day is MAGICAL! You - yes, YOU - have the ability to turn your DAY and your LIFE around! That, being so, never forget that the day and your world is WIDE OPEN for you! And, be sure to express gratitude for all of the things that make your life what it is today.

And, one last thought...remember that, "As long as there is breath, there is hope."

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

Mike

Live the Dream

Live the Dream!

In yesterday's entry I talked about Jim Rohn's article (see the link in yesterday's entry) in which he says the difference between those living the life we WISHED we were living and those of us standing here wishing is our ability to dream.

No, not just any ol' silly dream. And, no, not a "half-hearted" dream, either.

He is talking about a VIVID dream of the life we desire. The kind of dream that is so VIVID and REAL that we can actually "smell the air" in our dreams!

The kind of dream that, as he words it, will PULL YOU FORWARD to LIVING that dream!

No, it's not because they have had better luck than you or any of the other tons of "reasons" you may want to come up with to try to make yourself feel better by "demonizing" those "on the other side".

It's your VISION and your ability to get excited enough about that vision to put ACTION behind the dream!

Can you? (Yes!)

Will you? (Only YOU can answer that one, my friend).

Stop complaining about the gap and start making moves toward CLOSING that gap by LIVING YOUR DREAM!

And, as you do so...

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

Mike

How To Close the Gap

How To Close the Gap

Yesterday we discussed the dilemma of HOW to close the gap between where we would like to be and where we are. What do you do?

As part of yesterday's podcast and blog I mentioned an article about "myths concerning millionaires" and directed you to the posting of it on the fan page on Facebook. For those that did not find it or for those that may be accessing this article LONG after it was typed up - here is that article link:

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/110333/millionaire-myths?mod=bb-budgeting

Today I share from an article by Jim Rohn entitled, "Achieving Your Dream".

Here is the link to that article:

http://www.jimrohn.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=1284&utm_source=jrn-8_2_10&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ezines

You can read the article when you get a chance - I read the article word for word in today's podcast. Why? Because no one says it any better than the late, great Jim Rohn!

Bottom line - to get from HERE to THERE...start doing the "uncomfortable" until it becomes "comfortable". More on that in tomorrow's podcast and blog entry.

And, all along the way, be sure to...

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

Mike

How Do I Close the Gap?

"How Do I Close the Gap?"

Sometimes we take note of people in the news that are wealthy beyond our imagination and wonder why that can't be us.

So many times we also begin to "attack" that wealthy person (knowing very little - if anything - about them) so that we can feel better about why we are where WE are in relation to where THEY are!

I mentioned an article in the podcast about "Myths About Millionaires" and I've posted it on the fan page on Facebook - go there to check it out. (If you're not a member, go to http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com and click on the contacts tab and join up to become a member of our fan page there).

Hey, listen - you and I have both known this for a very long time...the easiest way to try to make ourselves feel better is to try to tear someone else down! We see it all of the time and, let' admit it, we've also DONE it from time to time.

But, may I suggest that we look at this a different way?

Perhaps, instead of "pulling them down" we need to STEP UP!

It is interesting that, with the article I mention, the comments that people left about the article just emphasize what I'm saying even more. Whining and complaining and the majority of the those leaving comments have NO IDEA what they are even talking about.

Why not let it be DIFFERENT with YOU?

Again, you don't have to be a millionaire to change your life, right?

What amount of money would make difference in your monthly budget? Would $1,000 a month make a big difference in your life? My guess is that it would! That's an extra $12,000 per year!

Whatever is needed in your life - what are YOU doing about it?

Are you sitting on THIS side of the gap looking over at the OTHER side and just whining about it? Are you just sitting and WONDERING how come things are the way that they are?

OR are you ready to start putting some plans - backed by ACTION - into place so that you can "close the gap"?

Guess what? It's all up to YOU!

Hey, you should know by now - if you don't already - that this is the main point of just about everything I say. YOU. No one else so stop looking around. YOU.

What will YOU do?

Start today and, as you do so...

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

Mike

Boots or Flip Flops?

Boots or Flip Flops?

My guess is that we've all heard the phrase, "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps". The idea behind it being that you need to get your boots on, lace them up and get up and get going (bootstraps = laces). With that thought in mind, here is my quote for today's thoughts:

"It's hard to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps if you're wearing flip flops!" - Mike Spillman

Yeah, I like it.

Now, first, let me say this - I understand that we live in a world in which we really DO rely and depend upon each other. We are not an "island" and we should do all we can to help each other out in this journey called life.

HOWEVER (and this goes back to yesterday's discussion) this does NOT mean that we should sit around on our rear ends with our hands out waiting for someone else to do it all for us.

So, even though we need each other, my thought today is that we need to stop whining and complaining and we need to stop waiting for someone to dump success in our laps. We need to GET OUR BOOTS ON and GET AFTER IT!

I mean, really, what are you waiting on?

But, here's the deal: It's hard to do that if you're wearing flip flops!

Huh?

Can you imagine someone showing up on a construction site for their first day of work wearing a pair of flip flops? (I bet it has happened somewhere, sometime!).

Have you seen some of these reality shows where some rich kid that has never done a day of work in their life had to do some outdoor work and one of the girls would show up wearing expensive high heels?

UNPREPARED!

In these two scenarios the person involved will NOT be able to get the work done that needs to be done.

So it is in the pursuit of our goals and dreams - what are YOU doing to prepare yourself so that you can "get up and get after it"?

Too many times I hear people talk about this or that in their life that didn't work while trying to move forward in this pursuit. Upon further questioning, many times I will find out that they really didn't do much of anything for this "new endeavor" to ever even have a chance to produce positive results.

You'll see this online a lot with a lot of the "scam" threads that you see about this or that "work from home opportunity". Now - granted - there ARE many scams out there. However, what you find on many of these are people that bought a product and never even put the thoughts and ideas into practice and then called it a "scam" because it didn't work!

I see this all the time!

One particular real estate group that I am working with has a discussion board and, constantly, I see people ask, "What do I do?". It's obvious that this person hasn't even read the basic information that is provided or available to them -yet, they want someone else to tell them what they need to do. First of all, READ THE BOOK!

See what I mean?

Quit wearing your flip flops, get your boots on and GET AFTER IT!

Now, friend, there's nothing wrong with asking for some help. We ALL need that from time to time. There's nothing wrong with seeking some guidance in ANY area of our lives. But (and I think you are following me on this, right?) at some point in time we need to get out of the nest, spread our wings and FLY!

Can you imagine seeing a 25 year old man on a bicycle with their 55 year old dad running along beside him holding the seat helping him ride his bike?

So, what about you? Boots or flip flops?

The choice - as always - is YOURS!

And, as you lace up those boots....

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

Mike

Ask What You CAN Do!

Ask What You CAN Do!

In John F. Kennedy's 1961 Inaugural Address we find the often-quoted phrase, "...ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

This is a very POWERFUL statement and it doesn't have to apply to the United States of America or to any government. This can be true of ANY situation that we find ourselves to be a part of whether it be a family, a job, a team, etc.

However, too many people sit around and wait for someone - ANYONE and often, EVERYONE - to do "it" for them.

It?

It can relate to a lot of things, but let's just say that "it" refers to just about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

In other words, there are some people in our society that sit around and wait for others to do EVERYTHING for them! I know this will sound harsh, but it's true - people like this are leaches on society!

I've dealt with people that want something and, when that thing is supplied they want something more. It's never enough and it's never EXACTLY the way they wanted either!

All I'm saying is this: STOP WAITING OR STOP DEPENDING ON SOMEONE ELSE TO DO FOR YOU IF/WHEN YOU CAN DO IT FOR YOURSELF!

Please understand, I know that there are those that - out of necessity - MUST depend on their government (or other sources) to provide for them due to circumstances out of their control.

Hey, I'm not excited to share this, but there was a period in time when we had to sign up for and receive food stamps so that I could feed my family. I HATE THAT!

But, because I was able to do so, it was a short lived situation.

Some can't pull themselves out of that situation - I hope you understand what I'm saying - but there are many that CAN but that WON'T!

Why? Because it's easy to sit back and allow someone to do it for you.

But, friend, that's no way to live!

Again, this applies to ANY situation and not just to a government doing stuff for you.

What about your family? What are YOU giving to the overall working of YOUR family? You can't constantly be a TAKER!

And your workplace? Have you allowed the negative attitude of others to sway you into thinking that you should not do ANYTHING that's not asked of you? Do what your told and nothing more.

What a terrible way to live and what a terrible way to waste away a day!

And, by the way, you will likely not ever get a promotion either.

DO MORE THAN IS EXPECTED OF YOU and see what happens.

That's the attitude that is behind this quote.

ANY group (again, whether it be a family, school, workplace or government) is STRONG when it has those that are willing to DO and to SERVE without waiting to be asked.

What about you?

Why not approach TODAY with this mindset?

And, as you do so, always remember to...

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

Mike

On the Right Track?

On the Right Track?

Today's quote comes off of a plaque my daughter-in-law found in a restaurant store the other day. Here it is:

"Even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there!"

You see, it is a WONDERFUL thing to KNOW that you are on the right track! This indicates that you have been doing a lot of things in the RIGHT way to ensure your success!

You've stayed on course and kept focused on the path that will lead you to your goals and dreams!

However, sometimes (going back to what we talked about last week) the fear of making a mistake and maybe getting OFF course and OFF of the right track - even momentarily - can paralyze us to the point of not making any progress at all!

So, we may be on the right track but we're not making any movement ALONG the track toward our goals and dreams!

And, if we do that long enough, that train is going to come along and run us over and likely knock us OFF of that track!

So, being on the right track is not enough, is it?

We can "feel good" about being there, but "feeling good" ain't going to get it done (as we say down South)!

So, keep reading those positive books and articles, keep listening to those positive podcasts and CD's or MP3's and keep your eye on your goals and dreams so that you DO move toward them each and every day.

Exciting? YES! Scary at times? YES!

But, hey, it's YOUR life! Why not "go for it"?

And, as you do...

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

Mike

Trivial Pursuit?

Trivial Pursuit?

This quote comes from my friend, Jim Ferguson: "In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” (author unknown)

Think about that quote for a minute and, as always, see what it means for YOU and YOUR life!

What are YOU doing with your life? What are you NOT doing with your life?

When my sons were little - at different stages of each of their lives - I would ask them why they did something they were not supposed to OR I'd ask them why they DIDN'T do something they were supposed to do. Their most often used answer: "I don't know." I realized very quickly that I needed to do a "Barny Fife" on this (you know, "nip it in the bud!") and help them realize that "I don't know" was NOT an acceptable answer and that it was, actually, a LAZY answer! I would instruct them that they DID know why the did or didn't do something and that I was going to charge them $1 every time they decided to say "I don't know". Guess what? That answer stopped being used and, as uncomfortable as it was for them, they began to actually " 'fess up" to the reasons behind their actions.

Hey, friend - IT'S THE SAME WITH YOU!

If I were to ask you, "How's your journey going toward your goal?" What would your answer be? If you were to say, "Well, not as well as I'd like!" my automatic response would be, "Why?" And - my guess is - your tendency would be to answer, "I don't know."

Bologna! (BALONEY!)

You DO know why you aren't making the progress you desire! It's just easier to throw up your hands and say, "I don't know" than to get REAL and HONEST with yourself and face the real reasons.

Oh, and the quote? See how it plays a part in all of this?

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS?

If you have not "mapped out a journey" then how will you have any idea where you are along the way and IF you happen to stray off course? How will you know?

YOU WON'T!

And that, my friend, produces the performing daily acts of trivia. No real focus. No real purpose. Just aimlessly wandering with no direction.

WAKE UP and GET BACK ON TRACK!

And, if you don't have a "track" (plan/path/map/goals) then, for goodness sake - actually, for YOUR sake and the sake of your future -GET WITH IT!

There. I'm done. What else can I say?

It's a NECESSITY!

And, as you go along your way, be sure to...

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

Mike

Stayin' Put Won't Get You There!

Stayin' Put Won't Get You There!

As the "theme" for the week continues with quotes, today I will share another of mine: "Staying where you are will NEVER take you where you want to be!"

Now, I know what I'm about to say is somewhat repetitive but, look at the picture above and ask yourself this question: "If the guy in the picture stays where he is and gives up, will he ever reach his destination?" NO!

Let's get down to it and ask it this way: If YOU give up will YOU reach your destination?

Um...in a word...NO!

Yet, every day, I'm guessing that thousands of people "give up" on reaching their goals and dreams. If you could see this visually as broken down cars on the side of the highway for everyone that has done this it would make quite an impression, would it not?

There would be car after car on the side of the road with their hood up and abandoned. Done. Finished.

It would be hard for those that are trying to stay focused on their journey to weave their way in and out of all the abandoned cars (abandoned dreams).

That's really a pretty sad picture when you think about it, wouldn't you agree?

I'm not sure that I'll ever look at an abandoned car on the side of a road (or out in a field, etc.) ever again and I hope you won't either. I hope it will be a VIVID reminder for us to NEVER give up on our goals and dreams.

I've done podcasts and blogs before about this journey and about the vehicle that is needed to take us on that journey. It never changes and the need always remains the same.

Just as it is true that cars will break down and trips may be delayed, unexpected things can and will happen in our lives that can delay or detour this journey on the way to our goals and dreams.

This is true in ALL of our lives. If it hasn't been true in your life then just hang on - it's coming!

I'm not trying to be negative, friend. I'm not trying to scare you. It's just a FACT that, if you live long enough, STUFF WILL HAPPEN that we wish would NOT happen.

But what you DO about that and with that is what will separate you from others. It is what will make the difference between your life being represented by another abandoned car on the side of the road OR one that is still moving forward.

Yep, you know it's coming and here it is: IT'S UP TO YOU!

Are you catching on that ALL of this that I talk about comes down to YOU making a DECISION? That ALL of this is a CHOICE that YOU must make.

That's the way it always has been, that's the way it is and that's the way it will always be.

So, again I ask, "What will you do?"

Me? I think I'll keep driving.

And as YOU do the same (you ARE going to do the same, right?)...

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

Mike

Just A Bump In The Road

Just a Bump In The Road

I've been using different quotes for my topics this week and today I'd like to share one that my 19 year old son, Jordan came up with the other night:

"The past is just a bump in the road to the future." - Jordan Spillman

Not bad, huh? Now, if he can just make sure that he remembers that in his young life he will be
WAY ahead of many others as they go through the "bumps" along the way!

You've likely heard this before: "Your past DOES NOT determine your future!"

And, even though you have "heard" it -- did you really HEAR it to the point of letting it sink in?

No matter WHO you are, no matter WHERE you've been and no matter HOW BADLY you've "messed up" you MUST remember that "the past is just a bump in the road to the future"!

And, yes, I know there are those of you out there that have messed up REALLY badly and you very likely may be paying the consequences of your actions for a very long time. But, you STILL have the ability to change the course - the path - of your future!

You see, that is what is MAGICAL about each day! There is found the TRUTH behind the thought that you can TURN each day AROUND! It is also what is so exciting when you consider that TODAY (and every day) is WIDE OPEN for you! And who in the world would NOT be THANKFUL for such wonderful opportunities each and every day?

As always, it's up to you!

You can sit on the side of "the road" on the journey to your future and cry out, "Woe is me!" while staying put OR you can correct the problem and move on down the road to your destination!

What will you do?

Will there be more bumps along the way? I can answer that with a very definite, "YES!".

But, as long as we keep on moving those bumps will soon be nothing but a distant memory of the journey to our goals and dreams.

And, never forget to...

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

Mike

Even When You Don't...

"Even When You Don't - You Do!"

- Mike Spillman

We're talking about some of YOUR favorite quotes this week but, until some more are sent in from you I will resort to using some of my own! Oh yeah, I have a bunch of them to share with you.

Don't think it's too late to get them in --- I'd love to have you share them with me and I will likely either carry this over to next week as well OR just store some of them up for a future set of podcasts. Either way - please send in your favorite quote along with a short note as to why it is so special and meaningful to you.

Sometimes we may be fooled into thinking that the way to NOT make mistakes is to simply DO NOTHING!

WRONG. That's the BIGGEST mistake you can make!

Sure, if you make a choice or if you make a decision it could be the wrong one and it could be deemed as a "mistake". And, I understand how someone could begin to shy away from making ANY choice or decision if the past several have seemed to turn out wrong.

I highlighted the word "seemed" in the preceding paragraph for a reason. Whether we realize it or not, we often determine something to be a "mistake" before the results of that choice/decision have had a chance to run its full course. Sure, it may bring a lot of problems and criticism, etc. into your life right now (who WOULDN'T think that it was wrong when it's like that?) but, you still don't know the final result.

For example, the person you do or don't marry is a decision that you simply CANNOT be 100% sure about one way or the other until years down the road. The one that you DIDN'T marry...well, you'll never know, will you? But, it may have been a blessing and not a mistake! And, the one you DID marry? Sometimes we find a completely different person once the honeymoon is over, right? Sometimes, even when you are SO happy on the wedding day and SO convinced that this person is the ONE FOR LIFE...you find out even years later that this may also have been the biggest mistake of your life.

Hey, good or bad - that's life, right?

So, what do you do? Just STOP getting involved in life and STOP making any decisions?

"Even when you don't - you do!"

The very act of attempting to STOP making a decision is a decision in and of itself!

Deciding to withdraw from life so that you don't get hurt is a decision that WILL hurt you.

So...bottom line - GET IN THE GAME! Bumps and bruises are just part of the game and only those that sit on the sidelines are the ones that have clean uniforms and no scratches!

I once heard the following observation about there being three groups of people at any event - in this situation, let's use a football game. First, there are those that are IN the stadium and that have paid good money to have a ticket to WATCH the game. They may really get into the game and be very passionate, but they still are only WATCHING the game. Then, there are those that are ON THE FIELD and that are actually PLAYING the game! It's not as easy as that person sitting up in the bleachers and sometimes the players get hurt - some worse than others, but they PLAY TO WIN and pain is just part of their participation. And finally, there are those that are OUTSIDE of the stadium. They decided - for whatever reason - NOT to buy a ticket but to sit and/or stand outside of the stadium hoping some of the excitement of even being this close might rub off on them. PLAY the game? No way! That's too dangerous! PAY for the game? No way! That's too expensive! Stand outside the stadium and neither PAY nor PAY? Well, they DO hear the crowd roar when something exciting happens! They have no idea WHAT happened, but they can hear the roar of the crowd and WONDER WHAT HAPPENED.

Friend, that is NO WAY to live life! As a matter of fact, that is NOT "living" life at all - it is merely existing on the sidelines WONDERING what happened.

LIVE LIFE and LIVE LIFE TODAY!

Don't let your past mistakes keep you from pushing forward. Hey, the only ones that AREN'T making mistakes are the ones in the grave.

Keep that in mind as you go for it! And...as you do, always remember to:

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

Mike

What Do You See?

What Do You See?

This week I will be focusing on some of YOUR favorite quotes - so get them in to me right away either straight through the message board on the website (http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ - contact tab) OR via email: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

Here is a quote that my friend Brian Johnson sent to me a few weeks back and it will serve as the foundation of today's discussion:

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see." - H.D.Thoreau

Here's the thing - we ALL "see" the same thing but, yet, many "see" something completely different than others.

Huh?

I think you know what I mean, but let me explain anyway. When we LOOK at something we usually talk about what we "see", right? And, yet, we all know that we can LOOK at something and miss out on a lot of details or not "see" what's really there.

Have you ever had someone come up to you and purposely not tell you that they got a new hairdo or something else to see if you would notice. And you didn't?

Wow, sometimes that brings on some problems because you might get accused of, "not paying attention".

I'm sure you've experienced someone looking "at" you but not really "seeing" you.

In our world today - with the economic turmoil that is talked about to the point of nausea - many see nothing but problems. But, what do YOU see?

Are there problems out there? ABSOLUTELY!

But, many see OPPORTUNITY!

Notice what Winston Churchill said: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Two people LOOKING at the exact same thing but SEEING something completely different.

What about YOU?

What do YOU see around you?

Remember the story about "The Emperor's New Clothes"? The guy was absolutely NAKED but, due to the societal pressure surrounding the situation, the majority of the crowd complemented him on what they "saw" - a beautiful outfit! However, one small boy saw something completely different - he saw what really was true and made his observation known: "Hey! He's naked!"

Do NOT allow others to tell you what you "see"! Have the guts, the determination and the courage to "see" what others refuse to see!

What do you "see" in the following link of letters?

OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

(Yes, I know I've used this before along with the quote used earlier - but, hey, they FIT!)

For whatever reason, the majority of people will read the above line as,"Opportunity is nowhere".

And, there a FEW people that will read the exact same letters as, "Opportunity is now here".

What about you?

What you "see" can impact each and every day of your life IF you will allow yourself to "see" what so many others simply refuse to "see" or are to lazy to "see".

Here we go with the same bottom line again - it's all up to YOU! Yes, it's YOUR CHOICE!

May we all truly open our eyes so that we may SEE!

And, as always...

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

Mike