Small Things BLOWING UP Big!

Today is "Turn-Around Tuesday" --- YOU have the opportunity to do that TODAY!

The story is told of an elderly couple sitting out on the front porch in their rocking chairs enjoying a lovely afternoon when the old man decides to express some loving thoughts to his wife of many years. Leaning over in her direction he say, "I love you!" to which the dear lady responded, "What's that you say?" Leaving over a little further and talking a little louder the gentleman repeats, "I said, I love you!". Still unable to hear what her husband was saying and a bit frustrated she said, "Tarnations old man! Speak up and say what you want to say!". The old man gave it all he had and yelled out at the top of his voice, "I SAID, I - LOVE - YOU!!" to which, with misunderstanding, the sweet woman replied at the top of her voice, "Well, good grief! I'M TIRED OF YOU TOO!"

Oops! MISunderstandings, MISinterpretations and just plain ol' "MISSES" that turn into MESSES!

"Just let it go." I have uttered those words numerous times in working with young people lately when they want to respond heatedly to what really is a very small offense. Hey, you know this to be true, right - people find out what "buttons" to push to get a reaction from you and they push it often and then they push it MORE often! What happens if we just learn to "let it go" and don't react? Many times, the "problem" will disappear.

I'm ticklish but I have learned to control that response so that when someone comes up to me and asks if I'm ticklish they don't get a response when they try to tickle me. By the way, isn't it odd that a person would ASK you a question and either not believe you OR (as usually is the case) start tickling you before you even answer? Anyway, I can resist the response and, guess what? They don't try it any more.

Simple illustration, I know. But it applies pretty much the same way to learning how to NOT let people "push our buttons". Remember, THEY DO NOT HAVE CONTROL over our emotions. We do!

Also consider the "chain of events" that takes place when you allow this to happen to you and then you drop that negative attitude on anyone and everyone around you. Many of these people are "innocent bystanders" and have absolutely nothing to do with the problem in the first place.

So, realize that what happens to you - positive or negative - doesn't stay with just you. Share the good, the positive and JUST LET GO of the negative and harmful.

Try it, you might like it! (And those around you will likely be pretty happy with it as well).

Until next time, be sure to...

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

Mike

Small Things Becoming BIG!

It's "MAGICAL MONDAY" once again...what will YOU do with YOUR magic?

We go through our days doing what we may think are totally insignificant things along the way. As a matter of fact they are so insignificant to us that we don't even think about them when we do them. (Now stay with me on this because, yeah, I'm going to hit a few "pet peeves" but we ARE going to end on a very positive note!)

For example, one thing I see a LOT of people do (and a growing number of young people - wonder where they get it from?) is to litter. And, from what I can tell by watching, they don't even think about what they are doing. I mean, after all, what's the big deal about one tiny little gum wrapper, right? Of course not until you multiply that by thousands of people that are doing the same thing.

Have you noticed how many "non-handicapped" people park in the "handicap only" parking spots? Hey, what's the big deal, right? I'm just going to run in for a few moments and pick something up. Again, without even thinking about this small, seemingly insignificant action.

Rude comments without thinking. "Oh wait, did you take that SERIOUSLY?" Talking on your cell phone or just being completely engulfed by it while in the company of others.

I could go on and on because there are so many and, by the way, there are things that I do, as well, that has a negative impact on others that I don't even think about. Small. Insignificant.

Now, on the other hand there may also be lots of little things that we or other people do - again without much thought - that may seem rather insignificant. And, just like the negative examples above, though they may SEEM to be small and insignificant, they may be anything BUT that in the lives of some people.

Opening the door for someone else. Saying, "thank you" and "you're welcome" and "how are you today" (and meaning it) when so many people are either too busy or too preoccupied to do so. Picking up that gum wrapper on the ground and putting it in the trash. Taking the time and making the effort to TRULY LISTEN to someone when they are talking with you. Giving someone else the RESPECT of your full attention when you are with them.

Here is a prime example that I experienced just the other day. Please know that I do not share this with you to "pat myself on the back". This just really just jumped out at me because, to me, it was small and insignificant and something that I try to do so often that I didn't even give much thought.

Now first, let me tell you that, for the most part I feel that the term "customer service" is an oxymoron. It seems that the majority of the time that I have to call in and speak to a "customer service representative" it turns out to be something LESS than a pleasant experience. Can any of you relate to that?

Anyway, I really wasn't expecting a battle of any kind but, to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to making a call that would involve a customer representative. As a matter of fact, I tried every way that I could think of to try to take care of this business through this company's website where I would NOT have to talk to anyone. No such luck.

Within the first minute of the conversation, after the gentleman introduced himself to me, he asked, "How are you today?" to which I responded, "I'm doing great! How are YOU doing today?" No biggie. No major motivational speech. Simple. Small. Seemingly insignificant.

However, this gentleman on the other end of the phone said with a smile in his voice, "Mr. Spillman, I'm doing fine and, I'll tell you this - I will be working for another 8 hours or so on my shift and you will likely be the ONLY person that will ask me that today. THANK YOU for asking me how I am doing!"

Did that seemingly insignificant exchange make a difference in this man's day? Apparently so! Did I set out to make that impact? Not really. But I did.

Small things becoming BIG. Think about it and pass it along and see what happens in YOUR world.

Until next time, friends...

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

Mike

Living Today in COLOR!

 

Today is "FUN FRIDAY"! Find a reason to SMILE and to SHARE that smile with others!

So, today is Friday...how long have you been waiting for today? How long have you been "hanging on" until FRIDAY? How many times do you find yourself on MONDAY already looking forward to FRIDAY? Songs have been written and sung emphasizing this type of mentality but I really want to ask you to consider this: DON'T YOU THINK YOU ARE WISHING YOUR DAYS AWAY WHEN YOU DO SO?

I once heard a young lady state at around 6:00 a.m., "I can't WAIT for this day to be over!" Are you kidding me? The day hadn't even really begun and she was already wishing it was over? She had apparently already decided for herself that it was going to be a TERRIBLE day and, according to her way of thinking, there was absolutely NOTHING she could do about it except wish for the end of that day.

Friend, that is truly sad in my opinion.

STOP living your life in the "grey" and "hum-drum" existence that so many find themselves in and START living your life in COLOR and experience each day FULL OF LIFE!

Do you remember in the movie, "The Wizard of Oz" how the first part of the movie was filmed in black and white but, upon Dorothy's arrival in the magical land of Oz, the movie was then shown in beautiful color? It was done that way for a reason! It was MAGICAL...it was NEW and VIBRANT and offered so much for this young lady that she had never experienced before. Isn't it time YOU stepped out of the world of "black and white" and started living YOUR life in VIBRANT COLOR?

In case you're having a hard time answering that question, let me be of assistance..."Uh, YEAH!"

Oh, by the way, there IS a reason I have a picture of a watch at the top of this blog. This is the watch that I found before Christmas that caught my eye. Very seldom is there anything that I really want for Christmas or my birthday or Father's Day and it is a bit frustrating to my wife... understandably so. But, when I saw this watch it "spoke" to me and I almost bought it on the spot since it was right there and available. However, I decided I'd wait, tell my wife about it, show her a picture of it on-line and then let her get it for me so it could actually be "from her". We stopped by a couple of stores in other towns before Christmas so she could pick it up and wrap it for me but we never could find THAT particular watch in the other stores! So, finally, we went ahead and ordered it on-line so that it could be shipped to the store in our hometown and we could pick it up when it arrived. Due to our crazy schedule right now it came in about 10 days before we could get to it and, FINALLY, we were able to pick it up the other day - this "Christmas present" near the end of January - at our local store.

We were both excited since we had been waiting so long and I actually had found something I wanted. Isn't that watch BEAUTIFUL? You see, blue is my color and that watch just caught my eye the moment I first saw it. I excitedly opened the box to only be disappointed. Why? Because the watch they sent was NOT the watch I ordered. The one I ordered looked like the one pictured above and the one they sent had the face color of what you see above if it was shown in black and white. In other words it was a dark grey trim with a light grey center. YUCK! When I took it back to the lady inside I told her about the problem and laughing I said, "That's like ordering a color t.v. and getting one in black and white!" (Oh, by the way, we did end up driving back to the ORIGINAL store where I first saw the watch and picked it up - YAY!)

Sure, I could have settled for the one I didn't order since it had taken so long - BUT I DIDN'T WANT THE UGLY, COLORLESS WATCH! I wanted the one that was beautiful, vibrant and colorful!

STOP settling for living a life of "drab existence" and begin to live and experience a life in LIVING COLOR!

So much is being offered to you today that we often pass up because we have settled for "drab" instead of "VIBRANCY" in our lives! Don't wish away the day or the week - take advantage of all that this day has to offer you! GRAB every ounce of LIFE out of this day, squeeze every ounce of life out of every second of this day! 

WHY? Because once this second, minute, hour and day is gone - IT IS GONE FOREVER and it CANNOT ever be recovered, relived or replaced. Gone. 

So, as is always the case - the choice is yours. What will YOU do with what you have...TODAY? As you go through your day, always remember to...  

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

Mike

Smart Phone Dumb

Don't forget! Today is "Thankful Thursday"...express thanks for all that you have for which to give thanks!

Be sure to listen to today's podcast if you haven't done so already. Although the blog article is on the same topic, I don't use a script so that both are the same word for word. You can follow the podcast here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 .

Well, I finally "gave in" after much refusal and bought a "smart phone" the other day.Why? For one, the phone I have been using is one that I've had since 2006 and, as you know, in technological years, that is a bit out of date and almost obsolete. But, hey, it did what I needed it to do...simply MAKE PHONE CALLS! But, I also have never gotten a new battery for this phone and the battery that is in it has really been weak for some time now. I've "limped along" for the past several months saying that "soon" I would replace it but I still was fighting the idea that I needed to get a phone that would also text, among other things.

It seems that the world around me has gotten so "hooked" on texting that everyone ASSUMES that I am able to text from my phone. I'm not sure how many times I've had people say to me, "I'll just text that to you" to which I would have to tell them - much to their surprise - that I did not test.

NOT ANYMORE! This old dog is learning new tricks and, due to some phone companies now offering flat "unlimited" rates that is as cheap as my "calling minutes only" plan with a major carrier - I caved and bought the smart phone.

I don't feel any smarter, though. As a matter of fact, as I have been working on getting this "smart phone" set up I actually feel DUMBER! But that's o.k. I didn't buy the phone to put on the appearance of being "smart". But, my guess is that there are many people in this world that have done just that...bought some phone or other gadget in hopes that it would make them appear to be "smart".

Guess what. It didn't.

I've come across so many people that complain about being "broke" and "barely getting by" and on and on while sporting one of these expensive-plan "smart phones" at a cost of $100 or more each month to have the privilege of doing a lot of nothing. (By the way - another pet peeve of mine is this: if you have one of these things PLEASE learn to PUT THAT THING DOWN around other people!).

How is it "smart" to have to try to scrape money together for something that you could get for a lot less with a lot less of the "bells and whistles" on it? Friends, I don't care who you are - that is NOT smart!

So, a "smart phone" won't make you smart or even LOOK smart. Neither will "fake glasses", a certain kind of computer, tablet, car or name brand of clothes. Nope. Not one bit.

As I get older I realize that what really makes a person smart is how they live based on what they have learned. What they have learned from others and what they have learned by living life. A person is smart that has learned that this world does NOT revolve around them and that we can ALL learn something from each other along the way.

A person is smart who, after such observation as was just discussed, has learned to treat people with kindness and respect and, for those who have not learned these lessons yet and "push our buttons" by their own selfish behavior - to sometimes learn to bite our tongues and try to help guide them along the way.

A smart person will not always feel the need to TELL you but will often rather SHOW you by example.

A smart person will be slow to judge because they realize that they, themselves, are an unfinished project.

How "smart" are you? How is THIS "education" coming along?

In case you didn't know, school for THIS education is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and it is being held wherever you are at any given time.

Enjoy. Learn. Grow. Strive to become "smarter" each and every day and, as you do so, be sure to...

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

Mike

The Power of Suggestion

It's "WIDE-OPEN WEDNESDAY!" What will YOU do with your OPPORTUNITY today?

 

"You're getting sleepy...very, very sleepy..."

 

The POWER OF SUGGESTION is well known in the world of entertainment hypnosis. I once had the opportunity to see "The Amazing Kreskin" in person while living in Tulsa, OK. (if you don't know who he is, "Google" him) and, as part of his act, he had people volunteer to come on stage to be hypnotized.

Yeah, you guessed it. I volunteered. Me, a skeptic. And, guess what? It didn't take long for me to be dismissed from the stage because, due to my skeptical outlook on the whole thing, I did not fall under the "spell" of the power of suggestion. And, oh yeah, others definitely did and put on quite a show!

Now, if you've yet to listen to the podcast for today (http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739) then I guess I'll spoil the effect of what I share in that podcast. It definitely illustrates the POWER of SUGGESTION!

 

My wife and I are now working with a group of young people in foster care and are experiencing things we have never experienced before even though we have raised three sons of our own. Anyway, yesterday I got a call from one of the schools that one of the attend letting us know that we needed to come pick up this particular child due to....are you ready for this....HEAD LICE.

I have to tell you that as SOON as I heard those words I literally began to feel my head itch in several places - IMMEDIATELY! Now, the question is...have you begun to feel that same ITCH now that you've read this?

Even funnier than that (is that a word?) was when I told some of the other teens that lived in the same house about it so that they could help with some precautionary efforts to keep it from spreading they basically FREAKED OUT and began scratching like crazy!

THE POWER OF SUGGESTION!

What "power of suggestion" is surrounding your daily life? In case you don't realize it, there can be a NEGATIVE power of suggestion just as there can be a POSITIVE power of suggestion. Who or what are you surrounding yourself with today and every day?

Think about this, if you don't like the company you're keeping then CHANGE the company you're keeping! Easier said than done? Sometimes. Necessary? Well, it depends on what kind of influence they have on you and your attitude.

Does their power of suggestion help you stretch further to reach your goals and dreams by "suggesting" that you CAN do it and that you WILL achieve your goals and dreams OR does their power of suggestion say to you, "give up...it's only a dream" or "you really can't do THAT!" or any other of a million negative messages?

If the company you keep does that latter then, YES, YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE COMPANY YOU KEEP!

And, by the way, the SOONER the BETTER!

Oh, and by the way, you also have the power of suggestion that you share with others as well as speaking it to yourself. If it's YOU then, obviously, you cannot change THAT company that you keep but, then again, maybe you can...

By changing the way you THINK! That's right...change the "company you keep" with yourself by CHANGING your SELF.

"Whoa, dude...that was DEEP!"

Smile and offer THAT form of suggestion as you go through your day. And, also, as you go through your day be sure to...

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

Mike

What's Killing YOU?

It's "TURN-AROUND TUESDAY!" Stop whining and start turning things around!"

In yesterday's blog and podcast we talked about the phrase, "Curiosity killed the cat." and then made some applications about what that cat likely "accomplished" along the way. If you haven't had the chance, be sure to read the blog and also listen to the podcast that you can find here:(http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739)

Now I want us to think about the other side of this topic by taking a good look at our own lives and our curiosity OR lack of curiosity and what that means for us on a daily basis.

Why the picture of the dog at the top? Hey, I LOVE dogs (well, MOST dogs) and have had several in my lifetime. But, it has always tickled me when I've seen a dog that was so lazy or uninterested (another way to say, "had no curiosity") to the point that you could bounce a tennis ball right up to them and they just look at you like, "Yawn!"

Many times dogs that do that don't do much of ANYTHING and, likely, they are either OLD and disinterested OR are very much out of shape DUE TO their lack of curiosity.

And that brings us to talking about us - you and me. Have you lost your sense of curiosity or do you still have the spark within that makes you want to keep learning and doing?

Think about this: if all of our great inventors had not had that sense of curiosity, what would our world be like today? I can tell you this - it would be a very DIFFERENT world! Very likely you wouldn't be reading this blog article on your computer or smart phone and I wouldn't have even been able to publish this blog in the first place! Computers, the internet, keyboards, electricity, phones, cell phones, phone lines, "wireless" capabilities and on and on we could go.

Aren't you glad there have always been curious people in our world?

Now, what about YOU? Have you lost your sense of curiosity? Let's get straight to the point here (and be sure to listen to the podcast for more thoughts on this topic): If you've lost your sense of curiosity then you are on your way OUT! That's right, curiosity may have killed the cat but LACK OF CURIOSITY WILL KILL YOU. Count on it.

Wake up. Begin to live again. Get curious!

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

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

Mike

What Killed the Cat?

Once again it's "MAGICAL MONDAY!"... What will YOU do that's "magical" today?

So, we've all heard the phrase, "Curiosity killed the cat", right? And, I'm sure - in spite of their 9 lives - that this has been true on occasion. But, it IS fun (even for a non-cat person) to watch a cat that has "zeroed-in" on some "target" due to this curiosity.

In today's podcast ( http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 ) I share the tale of me watching such a cat recently. I was sitting in a room with a group of young men and the cat spotted a moth that was flying about the room and, pretty quickly, began to "stalk" it's prey. The moth was mostly keeping to the higher parts of the room and, regardless of how far up the wall the cat would stretch after climbing on the back of a chair, the moth still remained out of reach. One of the boys stated, "That cat will NEVER catch that moth!" to which I replied, "Don't be too sure." The cat preceded to climb on the back of the couch that I was sitting on and looked up and patiently watched that moth flitter about the room. And, guess what? Believe it or not that moth basically fluttered right down within the cats reach and, yes, the cat DID catch that moth!

A couple of things came to mind almost instantly with this....NEVER say NEVER and, also, NEVER GIVE UP!

How many times do we find ourselves either listening to others tell us that we will NEVER accomplish what it is we have set out to accomplish OR to that little negative voice within ourselves that says the same thing? STOP LISTENING to the negative voice!

Now, really, I have NO IDEA what was going on inside of that cat's head when it was watching that moth but I really didn't see any indication that it even considered for a moment that it WOULD NOT get what it was after - that moth!

We need to develop that same determination in our own lives and STOP living a life of "if I ever achieve this" and START living a life of "when I achieve this"...BIG DIFFERENCE in the two, wouldn't you agree?

Sure, curiosity may have killed the cat but think about this: how much SUCCESS did that cat experience along the way and up to that point?

Be sure to listen to the podcast to get other thoughts on this topic and, until next time, always be sure to...

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

Mike

Joy in the Journey

Today is "Fun Friday!" How appropriate that this day is tagged in such a way on the same day that today's podcast and blog is entitled, "Joy in the Journey". Have some FUN today!

Gas prices. Flat tires. Hotel rates. Road construction. Confusing signs. Detours. Cancelled flights. Wrong flights. Expensive flights. Screaming kids. Screaming adults. Yuck.

Missed deadlines. Others unenthused about your brilliant idea. Job loss. Behind on bills. Credit collectors calling. Sickness. Disease. Broken bones. Broken hearts. Loss due to death. Loneliness.

I've just described situations that may be a part of two different types of journeys. One is obviously connected to some trip or journey we may take in an automobile or plane or any other type of transport. The other, life's journey.

Now friend, if we were to just stop and take a look at these two paragraphs, let me ask you this: would YOU want to be a part of EITHER of these two journeys?

Let's go back to the first one and add some more: Smiling faces. Beaming faces. Children's laughter. Your OWN laughter. Pictures taken to keep those images alive. Sights and sounds shared. Awe. Inspiration. Time spent that will be remembered for a lifetime. Why don't YOU add some more to that list?

And the second one - our journey of life? Let's do the same and add some more descriptive words: Laughter. Love. Memories. Awe. Inspiration. Smiling faces. Beaming faces. Children's laughter. Your OWN laughter. Pictures taken to keep those images alive. Sights and sounds shared. Awe. Inspiration. Time spent that will be remembered for a lifetime. Again, why don't YOU add some more to THIS list?

Isn't it interesting how BOTH of these journeys can be described in much the same way when we consider the JOYS of such a journey?

Sure, there are hurts and disappointments that come and go in life, but don't miss that word...LIFE!

And, in the same way, as you move toward your goals and dreams, don't miss out on the JOY that is in THIS journey as well. Remember, you have had and hopefully still have a PASSION for WHY your are moving toward these goals and dreams. Remember the PURPOSE!

Don't forget to laugh along the way and to share your passion with those around you as you move ever closer to these goals and dreams.

Bottom line: DON'T GET BOGGED DOWN IN THE SET-BACKS! It's all a part of the progress, right?

Whatever you do, in ANY area of life, be sure to FIND JOY IN THE JOURNEY!

And, part of that is being sure to remember to...

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

Mike
(podcast: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 )

Are We There Yet?

Today is "Thankful Thursday"! I know you can come up with a few things in your life to be thankful for today, right? Do it and express it!

A car full of kids with their parents heading out on vacation with the car packed to the top with kids, suitcases, toys and even perhaps, a pet or two. Hey, if you have kids and have done this for ANY distance then you know and can relate to some of the phrases that I'm about to share.
"I need to go to the bathroom!" "He's touching me!" "I'm hot!" "Can we turn around and see what that dead thing was in the road?" (That's a personal one from one my own kids). And, here we go...
"Are we there yet?"

Put all of those phrases on "repeat often" and you have fun-filled, family-packed adventure!

Yet, for us as adults, it is imperative for us to be asking that same question and to be asking it often..."Are we there yet?" or better yet,"Am I there yet?"

One variation of this phrase that you often would here/will here from the backseat of the car would also be, "How much further?" And, yes, that is also extremely important for us to be asking ourselves as we move toward our goals and dreams.

Hey, listen - if you were going on a trip with no set destination in mind, how would you answer the questions, "Are we there yet?" or "How much further?" ? I do understand that some people take out on a trip with no real destination in mind but to just "go" and "end up where you end up". My guess is that they don't usually do this with kids on board!

In the same way, if you don't have any set goals or dreams and a way to determine and know when you have reached or achieved them then, how will you know how much further you have to go or even if you have already arrived?

Just as a family on a trip will likely have places along the way to use as "gauge points" (we'll spend the night in this town on the first night and then we should arrive by 4:00 p.m. the next day) we should also have such "gauge points" along the way to our goals and dreams.

Again, a simple and easy example to use is that of weight loss. Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on losing fifty pounds and it's easy to get discouraged. However, if we use five pounds at a time as our "gauge points" then it makes it a little easier to deal with "how much further" we have to go before we reach our goal.

Why? Because we can actually "see" that we are making progress!

What are YOUR "gauge points" that you are using to mark your progress or to even make you aware of the fact that you AREN'T making progress?

One of mine, for example, is getting back to doing a DAILY podcast and, now, a DAILY blog article. This is important for me to do so that I can get back to a DAILY ROUTINE of "getting back on track" with formulating and sharing my thoughts and ideas.

What about you? ARE YOU THERE YET? Will you know?

Keep moving forward and keep marking and measuring your progress and, as you do so, always be sure to...

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

Mike

Your Personal "Ground Hog Day"

Today is "Turn-Around Wednesday!" (Be sure to check out today's podcast to see how this is true in YOUR life today!)

Do you remember the 1993 movie, "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in which the character played by Mr. Murray gets to start the SAME day over and over again until he "gets it right"?

Wouldn't it be awesome if we were able to do that exact same thing?

Hold on to your seats, friends because, to some extent WE CAN!

No, I'm not suggesting that we can go back and "re-live" a day all over again. However, what I AM saying is that we all have the opportunity to start each day FRESH and NEW with the chance to make corrections, improvements and advancements in our lives.

Hey, believe me, I understand that there are pressures, problems and people that WON'T GO AWAY with the dawning of a new day BUT I also believe what I have been saying for a very long time with this following quote, "As long as there is breath, there is hope."

When you even consider the "tag" that my friend, Gerry, placed on this day of the week - "Turn-Around Wednesday", it emphasizes the same thing...you CAN "turn things around" today!

What is it that they call this idea in the game of golf? A "mulligan", right? In other situations someone may call out the word, "redo!".

No, we cannot go back and re-live but with every new day we DO have the opportunity at a "second chance" in our lives. How many times have you heard others - or even yourself - utter the words, "I just wish I had a second chance."

You do. Each and every day and, by the way friend, TODAY is one of those days!

Live, love and laugh and, as you do so, be sure to...

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

Mike

Starting Over...Again

Hey! It's "Turn-Around Tuesday!" Be sure to listen to today's podcast to find out the significance of this "tag" for today!

On your mark...get set....GO!

FALSE START! Line up and do it all over again.

Board game...roll the dice...move six spaces...space says, "GO BACK TO START!".

On a bit of a more serious note, perhaps you or someone you know had their life savings set back in a way that they thought was "secure" only to find out that it had all been wiped out or "swindled" away. Time to start all over after years of saving and putting back.

"I do...regardless of sickness, health, poverty and/or wealth...until death do us part!" Scenario one: the person standing across from you had other ideas of what the phrase "until death do us part" and they decided to bail on your marriage at the first hint or sign of struggle. Scenario two: Death IS what "parted" the relationship between the two of you and, regardless of how long the two of you had been married - like in scenario one - now you look at having to start life all over again without that person by your side.

You've planned out your path to achieve your goals and dreams and have even set a time-line only to find that time come and go without you reaching your intended result....START OVER.

You start over and "tweak" things a bit thinking you figured out where you went wrong and what you need to do to finally reach those goals and dreams only to find yourself "coming up short" once again...START OVER AGAIN!

And again. And again. And again. And again.

Question: How many times will YOU "start over" before giving up?

Question: Do you see yourself a failure because you had to start over? If not the first time, how many times do you start over before you begin to feel this way?

Question: How many times in your life have you EVER reached success the very first time you tried something that required quite a bit of effort, skill and knowledge? (I think I can answer that one for you - LIKELY, NEVER!).

So, here we are in the middle of the first month of 2012 and, perhaps, you ARE starting over for the _____th time.

So what?

The main thing is that you have NOT given up! When you get "knocked down" you can either GIVE UP or GET UP!

The choice is yours! Do you get that? The choice is YOURS and not someone else's.

Stop listening to the naysayers and the doomsday words of those that likely never attempt to "step out of the box" to better themselves. Stop listening to those that tell you that you should "give up" because, "After all, you've had to start over two or three times!".

SO WHAT?

If it's important to you and if it's of value to you - WHY GIVE UP BECAUSE YOU HAD TO START OVER?

Don't. Keep going. Keep moving. Never, ever give up.

And, as you do so, be sure to...
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)

Mike

Permanent Marker Dreams?

Hey! It's "Magical Monday"!!

Check out the podcast to hear my comments about what makes today "MAGICAL" - you'll be glad you did!

As we continue to talk about our goals and dreams I want to bring up the idea of HOW you write down these goals and dreams....do you write them down with "PERMANENT MARKER" or do you do as I do and use a "dry erase board"?

I mention in the podcast that one thing I like about that "name" is the middle word, "erase"!

Sure, you may also think about it as if you use ink or pencil to write these things down. The great thing about a pencil is the ERASER!

When I sit in my "war room" and look at my dry erase board where I write down my focus, plans, goals and dreams I have to acknowledge and realize that I have erased and started over many times.

Yet, I STILL am focused on the same thing....I've just had to take a different path from time to time and I'm still on the journey!

Sometimes there are roadblocks and set-backs but the key thing is to ask ourselves if we are determined enough or focused enough to "stay the course" and keep moving on toward that destination.

Don't get all worked up if you've had to adjust your time line for completion of your goals....the main thing to look at is this: AM I STILL MOVING TOWARD THOSE GOALS?

Check this out on a DAILY basis and ask yourself if you have made progress TODAY toward those goals and dreams. Even the old saying of "Two steps forward and one step back" will mean movement in the right direction.

Think about that fact. IT'S TRUE!

Don't be afraid to get the eraser out and don't be afraid to use that eraser on that dry erase board.

And, hey, if you've used permanent marker or ink -- don't be afraid to tear that up and start all over! We'll be talking about that tomorrow but, until then, be sure to...

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

Mike

Week in Review for Monday, Jan. 9th - Friday, Jan. 13th

Since I've started getting back on track with my daily, 5 minute podcasts I thought I would try something a little different and new with my blog entries for now. Let me know what you think and we'll just go with what works best.

Instead of trying to do a daily blog that goes along with the daily podcast I thought I'd do a "week in review" and do a "re-cap" of the past weeks podcast topics. For one, my job at the time makes it very hard for me to do this on a daily basis and, secondly, I hope this will also help you to decide to take the time to listen to the podcasts if you haven't done so already.

Remember, you can access the podcasts via iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739

So, here we go...



Monday, January 9th: "Year Passed: One Day at a Time" ... A lot of people look at the past year (2011 in this case) scratching their head in bewilderment wondering where the time went and how it passed by seemingly so quickly.


NEWS FLASH: it didn't pass by any quicker or any differently than any other time period that you have experienced. The whole past year passed by just like any other year - one month at a time, one week at a time, one day at a time, one minute at a time and even one second at a time.
Now, let me say this: I have definitely experienced the thought that the older you get the faster time SEEMS to go by. The key word there is "seems" because, in all reality, time passes by for me at age 52 the same way it did at age 5.


The main focus of this podcast message is for us to realize that we MUST STOP looking BACK on time gone by in large groups of time and start looking DAILY at the time that we have before us - RIGHT NOW.

Today.

"Today is the tomorrow that you talked about yesterday." I have no idea who said that first but I heard it quite a few years back and I think it makes a very good point.

Here's the way I like to put it...
"The 24-hour period that we call tomorrow will be called what when it arrives? TODAY! So, in reality, there is no such thing as 'tomorrow' because all we have is TODAY!"

Give that some thought and be sure to listen (if you haven't done so) to this podcast as well as the others for the week passed.

Tuesday, January 10th: "This Year Passing: One Day at a Time" ... Just like 2011 we find that 2012 is passing by in exactly the same way - ONE DAY AT A TIME!

You know, it's very interesting to think of how many of you had some thought like "No Duh!" or "I'm not stupid, y'know?" in response to my last observation. However, it's even more interesting to me to think about how many of us KNOW that and yet we still continue to live as if we DIDN'T know that!

As you look at the date of this podcast you will see that the first month of 2012 is almost half-way passed and, yet, many are still planning to get started on their "New Year's Resolution" TOMORROW.

May I be blunt here? (Of course I can, it's my blog, right?) For those of you that are still saying, "TOMORROW" on getting started on some new thing....you won't.

*Ouch!*

Hey, sometimes the truth hurts, doesn't it? But, sometimes we need to HEAR and FACE the truth (why does the phrase, "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" pop up in my head?) no matter how much it hurts.

Procrastination is the killer of dreams! Yes, just like me you have probably heard the following saying most all of your life: "Never put off until tomorrow that which you can do today" (or some variation of that saying). And yet, as much as we may want to "roll our eyes" at such sayings, THIS ONE IS TRUE! Why? Because all we have is TODAY!

Look at the definition of "procrastinate" - to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.... to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.
Now look at the word "procrastination" - the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention.

Hey, YOU are the only one that can answer this question: How important are your goals and dreams? Your action or LACK of action shows more than what you say as far as your answer to this question.

One day at a time, time is passing you and all of us by.

Wednesday, January 11th: "What Happened Last Year?" ... You know, it is easy to look BACK over the 12-month period that was deemed 2011 and wonder, “WHAT HAPPENED?”

“What happened to all of the goals and dreams I had set for myself? What happened to all of the wonderful things I had planned to accomplish? It’s already mid-January 2012 – WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIME?”

Again, remember that each year passes by exactly the same way – ONE DAY AT A TIME! Also, remember that the fact that the first month of this block of time deemed 2012 is already half over SCREAMS that fact loud and clear trying to get your attention.

So, along with “WHAT HAPPENED?” we also now need to be asking ourselves, “WHAT NOW?” If we don’t take a look at the PAST then we can’t impact our FUTURE in a way that would go along with our goals and dreams, right?

Bottom line: if you are still saying you plan to start TOMORROW on your “New Year’s Resolution” then, let’s get honest and face this fact – YOU’RE NOT GOING TO DO IT!

*OUCH!*

Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn’t it and sometimes we don’t want to hear the harsh truth (“YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” – sorry, that just popped into my head) but we MUST be willing to be honest with our PAST if we plan to be honest about our FUTURE!

Thursday, January 12th: "Getting Back on Track" ... Here’s a thought mentioned in the last podcast that I want us to consider at the start of today’s review: “Where will YOU be when you get where YOU’RE going?” Again, we can’t get back ON track until we can discover where we got OFF track in the past, right?

Remember this: PROCRASTINATION IS THE KILLER OF DREAMS!

Are you determined to get back on track? Is it important for you to do so? Do you still have the belief that you can do what it is that you have set out to do? Have you lost your passion for your goals and dreams? If so, why? Take some time and HONESTLY answer these questions before you move on.

**Be sure to listen to my “7 Life-Changing, Powerful, Daily Affirmations” that I put together back in August of 2008… THIS CAN BE A REAL HELP TO “KICK-START” YOUR DAY!

Now, this may sound a little odd at first, but think about this: “SUCCESSFULLY MOVING TOWARD YOUR GOALS and DREAMS IS LIKE BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP!” (By the way, this is a “Blog Bonus” that is not discussed in the podcast!)

Think of any relationship that is important to you that involves any type of romance and compare the following to your “relationship” with your goals and dreams…

- Do you remember how excited you were at the beginning of that “romance”? Do you remember how you felt when you were around that person, heard that person’s voice or even just THOUGHT of that person?

- How hard did you try to keep that romance alive? How hard did you work to make SURE that they KNEW your commitment to them was real and that you would do whatever it took to “keep it alive”?

- Now, if that relationship has weakened and perhaps even died – WHAT HAPPENED?

- Did you start losing your focus and start paying more attention to something or someone else?

- Did your efforts to make sure they knew of your commitment to them start being shown less and less often?

Now, connect all of that to your goals and dreams and think about how you felt when you FIRST came up with these ideas. Perhaps you came up with them and made this commitment as a “New Year’s Resolution” sometime in the past. Do you remember how eager you were to tell anyone that would listen? Do you remember how committed you were to making those goals and dreams a reality? You would do ANYTHING and work however hard was necessary to make these become a REALITY in your life and to keep this dream alive!

What happened? Did you start losing your focus and start paying more attention to something else? Did your “passion” and commitment become weak because of the continued passage of time or a lack of belief in yourself?

WAKE UP AND DECIDE NOW IF YOU STILL WANT THIS IN YOUR LIFE! If so, “fall in love” once again with these hopes, dreams and ideas and realize that you CAN if you really want to do so.

Friday, January 13th: "Keeping Our Focus Toward Success!" ... Life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. The same is true as you move toward your goals and dreams – rarely are these things achieved “over night” and, that being true, it takes determination and perseverance in order to “STAY FOCUSED” to see them through.

You may question your ability to stay focused enough to see these through and it may be so especially if you have seen several years pass by along this journey. DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR DESTINATION and DO NOT become deterred in this journey.

If the goal is BIG ENOUGH and WORTH ACHIEVING then you can keep moving forward REGARDLESS of what may happen to slow you down along the way.

Only YOU can decide how important this is to you – if it’s not important, you WILL NOT continue and if it IS important to you, you WILL continue on NO MATTER WHAT!

One day at a time, one step at a time.

Hey, remember this – my daily affirmations that I shared with you were penned back in August of 2008. That’s almost 3.5 years ago! And,yes, I have to admit, there have been times that I have lost my focus along the way.

This is one of the reasons I am getting “re-focused” on my daily podcast and my blog – I CAN! I WILL! I MUST! (the last of my “7 Life-Changing, Powerful, Daily Affirmations”).

There are all kinds of reasons that I could still come up with to tell myself that I need to just give up on my goals and dreams in this area. There is no need for me to list them here and share them with you – I KNOW THEM WELL ENOUGH AS IT IS!

But, I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED and I WILL SUCCEED in this journey!

What about you? If it’s important enough, you will.

**Just a little side note on this blog. After doing one series of “Week in Review” I have decided to push myself and do all I can to do a separate blog entry for each daily podcast. Honestly, I think reading a blog article this long is a bit much and, for me, it’s easier for me to stay focused on the “message at hand” when I do the blog daily along with the podcast. So, look for a DAILY BLOG ENTRY to go along with the DAILY PODCAST starting on Monday, January 16th.

Stay focused – stay on track. And, as you do so be sure to …

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

Mike

On Your Mark, Get Set...GO!

On Your Mark...Get Set...GO!

It's time. I've been talking and planning on trying to get back to a more consistent schedule with my podcasts and it's finally time to stop talking and start talking.

Yeah. It's time to stop talking ABOUT it and start talking AS PART of it! Know what I mean?

So, beginning Monday, January 9, 2012, I am starting - once again - to get back to my DAILY, 5 minute podcast (daily being Monday - Friday).

What does tht mean as far as my blog?

What I plan to do is a "week in review" blog post where I give a summary of the podcasts topics for the past week instead of a blog entry every day about that particular day's topic.

My current job simply makes it hard to do both and I am recording podcasts 10-15 days in advance in order to do this -- BUT I AM DETERMINED TO GET BACK ON TRACK with my efforts!

Please let me hear from you as you listen to the podcast and/or read the blog.

Thanks!

And remember...

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

Mike