Sunday, November 30, 2014

How Much Longer?

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it.
The time will pass anyway."
- Earl Nightingale
 
 
Have you ever traveled very far in an automobile with kids? Perhaps you were traveling to see relatives over the holidays which may have taken several hours of travel time.
 
How many times did you hear this question: "HOW MUCH LONGER?" or "WHEN WILL WE GET THERE?"
 
Sometimes the answer to the question was, "About five minutes less than the last time you asked!"

You may be asking yourself the same question concerning reaching your goals..."HOW MUCH LONGER until I reach them?" or "WHEN WILL I GET THERE?"

Relax.

Pay attention to the quote above from Earl Nightingale and realize that time will pass anyway.

Are goals important? Absolutely!

Is it important to reach the goals that you have set? Possibly.

Possibly?

That's right. What if you set the wrong goal for yourself? What if, with your limited understanding of what reaching such a goal might involve, you set the wrong goal for yourself OR you set the wrong "end date" for that goal?

You see, when we set a goal for ourselves, we usually have no idea what will be involved in order to make it happen. We also have no idea what obstacles may pop up along the way that may slow us down or cause us to take a "detour" along the way.

"But if your goal (your "why") is important enough to you, you will push through anyway and reach your goal on time - every time - regardless!" I can just hear some over-zealous MLM'er  saying that now.

You may discover, along the way, that your "why" for attempting to reach a particular goal may not be as strong as you first thought that it was. You may find that reaching that goal is not as important as you thought it was. Sometimes you never know until you step out and attempt it in the first place.

So, relax and improve a little each day. Don't give up just because it's taking longer than you thought it would. And, if you find that you need to forget about a particular goal....so what? Find what you are passionate about and what really matters to you and move forward.

Here's my main goal in this and the next three articles: ENCOURAGEMENT.

Instead of the pressure that most feel during this time of the year, I want to encourage you to relax and not lose focus on what is important to you. Don't freak out because it's the end of the year. Just keep moving forward each day and see what happens.

Got it? Good!

Until next time, always be sure to...

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

Mike
 


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

H.O.P.E. Enjoy)

 (Please be sure to read the previous three articles in this series if you've not done so).
 
Well, here we are. In the United States, today is being celebrated as "Thanksgiving Day" and I hope you are with family and friends having a great time.
 
To close out this special "Thanksgiving Week" series, I wanted to encourage you to ENJOY life and all that it has to offer.
 
If you will consider and put into action the things that we have discussed in the past few articles then, by investing and opening yourself up to others, you will begin to enjoy life on a whole new level.
 
We all need to stop "stressing out" over everyone doing everything right all of the time or doing it the way WE want it done all of the time. (Yes, I know there are times that it is important.)
 
People are not perfect. YOU are not perfect! My guess is that, you want people to practice patience and forgiveness with you, right? Then, learn to practice and offer that same patience and forgiveness with those around you.
 
"Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31; The Bible)
 
So, friend, open up your heart to life and to others and live out your purpose in life...OTHERS! And, as you do so, ENJOY every minute of it
 
And, from my family to yours...
 


 
 

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

H.O.P.E. (Purpose)

(If you've not done so, please read the previous two articles in this series...they are all connected!)
 
 
PURPOSE:
If you've read the previous two articles then, hopefully, you've figured out that your PURPOSE is PEOPLE.
 
That's right. Once you begin to allow yourself to open your heart and your life to others, you will begin to experience life as life was meant to be experienced...ALIVE and CONNECTED!
 
Many people struggle with their "purpose in life" and spend countless days, weeks and even years struggling with that thought. Some even spend countless dollars trying to discover this purpose. Hey, I just saved you lots of time and money!
 
YOUR PURPOSE IS PEOPLE!
 
We're all here together and we're all here for one another. We are all part of the HUMAN race (you ARE human, right?) and, that alone, connects us all.
 
When you close yourself off to others, you rob the world of who you are! You rob the world of your personality and everything else that you offer to this world.
 
Yes, I hear some of you saying, "But what about me? What about MY goals and what I am trying to achieve?" My guess is that you have heard this quote from Zig Ziglar before, haven't you?
 

"You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want,"
 
Just relax and care about others...serve others...be interested in others. Just relax and do that and see what happens in and for your life.
 
Some people call it "karma" and some use the phrase (good or bad), "What goes around, comes around."
 
Regardless of what you decide to call it, it's a true way of life and, friend, I want to encourage you to fulfill your PURPOSE for your life.
 
Even though I may not know you, I - for one - am glad that you are a part of this thing called the "human race".
 
Until next time...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike


Monday, November 24, 2014

H.O.P.E. (Others)

 
If you've not done so, take a few minutes and read the last blog article which introduces the ideas that I had for this series. Read the article it self, as well, so that you can see how these all connect together.
 
OTHERS: 
Friend, we live in a world of PEOPLE. You just can't get around that fact, can you? Oh, I know, there are times that you may wish that it wasn't that way and you may even fantasize about being on some deserted island somewhere, completely isolated from people and all of the problems that go along with them.
 
But, you know what? It wouldn't be long before you began to MISS being around people! Why? Because we were MADE to be around and with other people! That's right, friend.
 
But, many times, we allow the frustrations with people to cause us to "close up" our hearts (see the last article) in order to protect ourselves. But, what actually happens when we attempt to do that, is that we actually hurt ourselves.
 
We become "less human" to some extent and life begins to take a downward spiral.
 
I want to encourage you to OPEN UP and APPRECIATE others! Remember, you are here for a reason and, along with YOU, your world (as well as the world as a whole) is made up of all kinds of different people with different talents, traits and personalities.
 
We're not all alike. AREN'T YOU GLAD?
 
Sure, you're not going to "click" with everyone but, at the same time, if you will allow yourself to "open up" to others, you will likely develop a new level of patience and understanding with those around you.
 
Finally, when you open yourself up to others you also SHARE YOURSELF with others and, friend, that's a good thing, too.
 
This is not just called a "race"...it's called the "HUMAN race".
 
Open up to others and share a part of who  YOU are. Not only will you be glad that you did, but the world will be glad that you did as well.
 
Until next time...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike
 

Sunday, November 23, 2014

H.O.P.E. (Heart)

 
 
In the United States, this is "Thanksgiving Week". Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated on Thursday of this week and, many families will be gathering together at various points during this week to spend time together.
 
I wanted to do a special series for this week as a way to encourage and uplift you even if you are not able to spend time with friends and family this week. I also wanted to do this even if it's not celebrated as Thanksgiving Day where you live.  They will be short and to the point but I hope that they will be beneficial to you as you read. Be sure to listen to the podcasts as well by clicking on one of the links at the bottom of this article.
 
HEART:
I simply want to encourage you to "open" up your heart to those around you. I understand that, at times, it's difficult to deal with people - even family - when they disappoint you and let you down. I also understand that people can be very frustrating and that, at times, you can even feel anger toward them.
 
When that happens it becomes easy to "close up" in order to avoid the hurt and confrontation. It becomes easy to feel that the best way to "protect" yourself is by isolating yourself (both physically and emotionally) from others.
 
Hey, you can't get hurt, frustrated and/or disappointed if you aren't connected or involved in relationships, right?
 
WRONG!
 
Whether you are involved in relationships or not, you will STILL experience hurt, frustration and/or disappointment in someone, somewhere in some way! It is literally impossible for that NOT to be true, unless, of course, you completely isolate yourself from all human contact.
 
But, you don't want that, right?
 
Friend, do not close yourself off. Open up your heart to live and, yes, even to love. It doesn't have to be a "romantic" love to qualify as love. Will you get hurt? Maybe. Will you be disappointed? Probably. Frustrated? Most likely.
 
But, at the same time, you will become connected and you will begin to experience LIFE in the way that you were designed to experience it...CONNECTED TO OTHERS!
 
You will learn and develop the ability to handle the disappointments as well as any possible hurt or frustration that you may encounter. You will become a stronger person and, I believe, a happier person when you allow yourself to be OPEN to life.
 
Open up your heart and become a part of the world in which you live.
 
You'll be glad you did!
 
And, as you do so, be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

8th of 8 Things to Give Up


Thank you for staying with me through this series on things that we all need to give up. I know that, for many of you, this has not been an easy series to go through and, I also know that others have simply dismissed this whole thing with criticism.
 
How do I know these things? Because PEOPLE are reading this and, that being said, PEOPLE are not that hard to "read" and figure out! Some see the issue and understand that it is something that they need to overcome and give up. They struggle and don't like to admit that this is true in and for their lives, BUT they realize the need to give it up and begin to work toward doing so. And, as I mentioned at the start of this series, there are those of you that have used your "criticism" as an EXCUSE as to why you won't give these things up in your life. Some of you aren't willing to accept this as a reality in your life and, that being so, you refuse to take action since you refuse to accept this as a problem.
 
Let's go ahead and get something else out here at the start, shall we?
 
People pleaser's (those who constantly try to please everyone else) are the result of all of the other things that we have already discussed in this series. Think about it: If you struggle with the first seven things on this list then, the odds are, you are also a "people pleaser".


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When you doubt and criticize yourself in the ways already listed, you begin to find your "identity" in pleasing other people. To some extent, you have no real value on your own...it's what you can do for others that becomes "who you are". 
 
You become a chameleon...changing and adapting to be whatever/whoever someone else wants or needs you to be for them. And, when you have done this so many times, you begin to forget who YOU really are.
 
Once you begin to give these other seven things up in your life, you begin to discover that who YOU are matters. You realize that, although "getting along" with others is a good thing, the most important thing is to "BE" YOU and allow YOU to flourish and show through in every thing that you do. At that point, if others like it and like you - GREAT! If not, then, so what?
 
YOU CAN'T PLEASE EVERYONE!
 
I have a close friend that has always been a "people pleaser". From what I have learned from them, they learned this tactic early in their life and they still struggle with it today. The tactic? They learned that, basically, you do what everyone else wants and they are happy. The problem? My friend's own likes or dislikes didn't matter and, after a while they began to realize that they were not living THEIR life...they were living the lives of everyone else.  As a matter of fact, even in their dealings with me, I have helped them discover that many answers they give are NOT their answers. What do I mean by that? They give answers - even to me - that are answers that they think I want to hear.
 
Can you relate to that at all? If so, you are a people pleaser and you need to give this up as soon as possible. This, like the others, is not easy but - one day at a time and with determination - it CAN be done.
 
Here's a bit of encouragement: When you start giving up these things (notice I didn't say when you have accomplished it all but, instead, when you START) you will find that you begin to believe in yourself. When you begin to believe in yourself, you become confident and not as concerned with getting approval from everyone else. You will also find that people like and respect YOU for being YOU and, in return, the need to please everyone else will begin to disappear.
 
Believe me, it's true.
 
I hope you have enjoyed this series but, even more importantly, I hope this series has been helpful in getting you to give up things on this list that you need to give up once and for all.
 
Until next time, always be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike
 

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

7th of 8 Things to Give Up


Whether you realize it or not, the FEAR OF SUCCESS is very closely related to the FEAR OF FAILURE. That seems to be a bit strange, doesn't it?
 
How can these two ends of the spectrum - fear and success - be closely related or connected?
 

The truth is, ALL of the things we have discussed thus far in this series is connected to FEAR.
 
Too many of us feel that we just don't "deserve" success in ANY area of our lives (doubting yourself, negative self-talk). Whether it be relationships, advancement at the workplace or financial success, too many feel that they just don't have "what it takes" or that they just can't "make it happen" (criticising yourself). Yet, at the same time, we are fearful of others getting ahead of us, so we may even criticize them as a way to "point out" their flaws.  And, yes, this fear can cause us to continue to postpone (procrastinate) needed actions that might bring success.
 
What if I do succeed? What if I mess things up and I end up failing anyway? What if I let others down in the process? What if my life changes and I lose some of my old friends?  And, this can even lead to the following thought: "The best way to avoid all of that is to just stay with my present situation and not change anything."

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On the podcast I talk about a "self-preservation" characteristic that many young people have that are in the foster care system. When you understand that most of the adults in their life have disappointed them and let them down, it begins to make sense. If they begin to feel that they are getting too close to you or that they are beginning to trust you, they will do what they can to sabotage the relationship. They will "act out" in a way that they think will cause you to not care about them any longer. This is the "fear of a successful relationship" based on the "fear of past failure" in relationships.
 
As silly as it sounds, many people do the same thing in all areas of potential success in their lives. Think about it, procrastination can be a form of sabotage.
 
Just as has been true with all of the things we have examined so far, so it is with this: The best way to FACE and DEFEAT FEAR (any fear) is to TAKE ACTION in the face of fear!
 
Are you on the verge of success?
 
GO FOR IT AND LIVE! EXPERIENCE SUCCESS! ENJOY! BLESS OTHERS! BE THE BEST YOU THAT YOU CAN BE!
 
Yeah, do THAT.
 
And, until next time, always be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike

Monday, November 17, 2014

6th of 8 Things to Give Up


I need to get this article written for you so that you can read and absorb it's contents. So, what do you say that we BOTH wait on that and do it later?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nah, let's get it done NOW!
 
You see, it's EASY to NOT do something. Quite honestly, ANYONE can NOT do something.
 
There's no special talent or characteristic involved or needed to let something go undone. Nope. Nothing.
 
And yet, here you are, taking the time out of your day to read this blog article. Maybe you even have taken the time - or WILL take the time - to listen to the podcast and, who knows, perhaps you are one that will actually share BOTH of these with as many people as possible.
 
We already know that at least ONE of the things listed in that last paragraph describe you And, that being so, it is evident that YOU are not like the others around you that would never take the time to do such a simple - yet important - task.
 
You have invested your time in these tasks and, likely, you've even invested some money along the way to better your mindset. Am I right?
 
And yet, you - yes, YOU - struggle with procrastination.
 
If you are like me, that makes it even MORE frustrating, doesn't it? You're NOT like everyone else in that way but you still struggle with procrastination like so many others.
 
 
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Know this: PROCRASTINATION is a product of FEAR!
 
You see, it's easy to SOUND as if we are going to accomplish great things. It's easy to tell everyone what we have PLANNED to do and, it's also easy to tell ourselves those things as well.
 
Yet, sometimes, taking the steps necessary can (as we've discussed before) literally freeze us in our own footsteps and we become paralyzed by that fear. We've discussed all of that already so we will move on from that point.
 
It's not enough to just TALK about your plans. TALK will get you nowhere. You will never make progress and you will never move forward as long as you keep putting off taking ACTION.
 
Thing is, you already know that. You already know that everything I have said in this article and through the podcast is absolutely true. So, again, you know this to be true as well: It's up to YOU to take action and make it happen!
 
The best way and, perhaps, the ONLY way to face and defeat FEAR is to take action. Easier said than done? I think we've made that fact more than clear, haven't we?
 
Just remember: It's EASY to NOT do something but it takes DISCIPLINE and DEDICATION to take action and see that thing through to the end, REGARDLESS of what fear you may face or what obstacles may be placed in your way.
 
So, give it up and give it up NOW.
 
Until next time, whatever you do, be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike
 
 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

5th of 8 Things to Give Up


We know begin to address the second half of the "8 Things to Give Up". The first question that I must ask you is this: How has your ATTITUDE been toward the things that have been discussed up to this point?
 
Attitude? Absolutely.
 
Chances are, you have had some sort of negative thoughts about some - if not all - of the points that we have covered so far. Why do I say that? Simple...those who are OPEN to change and improvement in their lives will usually find that they are looking at TRUTH and that, even though it is difficult to accept, it is of key importance to take action ANYWAY!
 
Those who aer NOT open to change and improvement in their lives will usually find excuses as to why action does not need to be taken. They will try to disguise these excuses by being critical of the process. "EVERYBODY doubts themselves at some point in time. That doesn't mean anything!" or "These are really STUPID examples given. Everyone I know deals with these things...why should I be any different?"
 
You simply can not give up that which you refuse to admit to have in the first place, right?
 
And, the longer you decide to hang on to these types of attitudes, the more likely you will find that you are attaching stronger and stronger "chains" to these attitudes in your life. Those "chains" will not only make it more difficult to rid yourself OF those attitudes, they will also weigh you down and make it difficult to function in a healthy and positive way in ANY relationship!
 
So, what's the difference between NEGATIVE THINKING and NEGATIVE SELF-TALK?
 
Good question!
I would suggest to you that negative thinking is a "general" mindset in which you tend to be negative about anything and everything. Negative self-talk is when you have begun to direct that negativity to yourself and have now made it personal. For example, negative thinking might be expressed with: "This place is horrible!" and negative self-talk would be more like: "I am horrible for not knowing better than to come here! What is wrong with me?!". Negative thinking might say: "This is an ugly outfit/dress/suit!" and negative self-talk would redirect it this way: "That outfit/dress/suit is not too bad but I look ugly in it!" or "I make it look horrible!".
See the difference?

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Negative self-talk could lead to self-loathing and self-hatred. BOTH of these are very dangerous and damaging to a person and it is KEY that you snap out of this one and give it up as soon as possible!
 
Negative self-talk tends to put the blame for EVERYTHING that is wrong (or perceived so through your eyes) on YOU! Hey, maybe that outfit/dress/suit actually IS ugly and it has nothing to do with you! Have you not noticed that much of so-called "fashion" is actually quite hideous, REGARDLESS of how beautiful the person is that wears the outfit?
 
Too, this type of self-talk really begins to take on the characteristics of SELF-CENTEREDNESS. (Ouch!)
 
That's right - self-centeredness. The world begins to (and likely has for quite some time for you) revolve around you and you begin to focus EVERYTHING - now mostly all of the "bad" things" - on yourself as if YOU are the one that is responsible for all that is "unfit" for this world.
 
Stop it! That's right, I said STOP IT!
 
I'm going to spend a short moment more on this and then I'm going to wrap this discussion up for now. PAY ATTENTION - THIS IS IMPORTANT! When you begin to sink into the world of "negative self-talk" and you become further involved to the point of thinking everything (good or bad) revolves around you, then you become SELFISH to the point that no one else matters. LISTEN UP! There's a lot more I could say about what I'm about to say, but let me just say it this way for today's article - suicide is a very SELFISH act! Again, I could discuss this a lot further, but not today because I want to get your attention here. When you begin to become so involved in negative self-talk that leads to criticising yourself and blaming yourself for anything and everything, then you also begin to run the risk of being so focused on YOU that you begin to think it's all about YOU! When that happens it is also very easy to forget your connection to your world around you (family, friends and others that love and care about you) and you begin to even believe that the world is better off without a person like you.
 
Can you see the dangerous path? (Be sure to listen to the podcast on this for more thoughts).
 
STOP IT and GIVE IT UP! Get whatever help you need to do so but PLEASE understand that this can take you down a path that you never thought possible.
 
Go back and re-read the past few articles or, if you haven't read them yet, DO IT NOW, and begin to absorb a little "good news" about yourself, o.k.?
 
Yes, it IS that important. Do NOT believe the lies of doubt and negative thinking and do not allow them to go any further in your life. The quicker you give it up, the sooner you will begin to experience improvement in your overall attitude and outlook on your life.
 
And, as you do so, do all that you can to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike

 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

4th of 8 Things to Give Up



"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be understanding and forgiving." - Dale Carnegie

Hey friend, that quote applies to criticism of YOURSELF as well! You must learn to be "understanding and forgiving" of yourself as well as others. Bottom line is this: CRITICIZING YOURSELF AND OTHERS is another thing that you need to give up!
 
As I've pointed out before, all of these things work together and feed off of each other. These are ALL results of negative thinking so, if you are going to pick ONE to work on removing from your life first, THAT would be the one..."negative thinking".
 
YOU define what "success" means for you in your life. Whatever it is that you determine "success" to be, you will NEVER reach it as long as you hang on to these things that we have been discussing.
 
I want to make sure that you are getting the point: READING THIS BLOG as well as LISTENING TO THE PODCAST will DEFINITELY help you battle negative thinking and what comes from that type of mindset!
 
THAT IS A FACT!

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When you allow yourself to not only listen to, but believe criticism from others to the point that you begin to repeat it to yourself, you are doing yourself a great disservice and you are giving even more power to anyone that criticizes you. Read that sentence again - slowly - and let it sink in.
 
Remember, you are special and you are here - on this earth - for a REASON! Also remember: "God Does NOT Make Junk!" and you are of great value.
 
I can do all I can to help you by stating facts like this over and over again but, friend, YOU are the one that must begin to "walk" in this belief and to begin to "live" in this belief.
 
So, as far as criticism is concerned (whether of yourself or others), just give it up.
 
And, as you continue on this journey, always be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

3rd of 8 Things to Give Up

 
Sometimes one can be so afraid of making a mistake that they do nothing BUT make mistakes! My guess is that you already know that to be true from past experience, right?
 
Sometimes it was due to nervousness when doing something new and not wanting to "mess up", which usually didn't turn out well. Sometimes it was likely even comical.
 
Now then, on a more serious note, at some point, YOU must give up the fear of failure in your life. At some point in your life, you must become more afraid of "staying where you are" than you are of possible "failure". Remember, there has never been an inventor in history that ever achieved success before they first experienced failure.
 
"FAIL FORWARD!"
 
The things that we have talked about so far - these first 3 things - are all tied in together. Doubting yourself and your abilities, along with negative thinking will likely cause you to believe the lies associated with such thoughts. And, believing those lies, you will be afraid to take the chance for success - WHATEVER "success" is for you.
 
 
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FEAR is "seeded" in doubt. Again, if you are going to doubt anything, doubt your limits. Sure, take the time to do your "homework" before making a decision but, at the same time, be careful not to fall into "paralysis of analysis" and never take action. It's easy to hide behind the, "I'm just being careful!" excuse.
 
Learn from failure, make adjustments and move forward. If you fall down (fail?), get up, dust yourself off and do it again...and again...and again...and again!
 
PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF!
 
And, as you move forward in the face of fear, be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike

 

2nd of 8 Things to Give Up



Is doubting yourself a result of negative thinking or is negative thinking a result of doubting yourself?  I would suggest that they feed off of each other and that they will continue to do so - and, likely grow and increase - until you decide to do something about it by giving them up.
 
For today's thoughts on giving up negative thinking, we must first of all realize that we are all SURROUNDED by negative thinking. It's literally everywhere. If you are around people and/or watch any television "news" at all then you are "pounded" by negative thinking every day.
 
What passes for "news" is hardly news at all. If you really pay attention to what is part of the evening "news", you will discover that the majority of it is actually commentary and opinion. In our modern world, you will also find "news" from every corner of the world and involving every thing that happens anywhere and every where.
 
Have you noticed that some people (more than you may have even realized) just seem to be focused on EVERYTHING that is wrong with EVERYTHING?
 
Listen - let's make this short and to the point - the ONLY way that you will be able to "give up" negative thinking is to STOP LISTENING to all of the negativity that surrounds you AND to replace it with as much POSITIVE information (like this and the podcast) as possible.
 
It is not enough to just REMOVE the negativity. You must REPLACE it with something positive.
 
You must be determined to PROTECT your mindset from all of the negativity and DEVELOP a positive mindset. It's not always easy (go back and see the quote in the last article about "easier said than done") and it may take some time but, you must realize (and decide for yourself) that this is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE!
 
You can do it but you must be proactive in the process. Allow YOUR positive attitude to surround you and watch what happens to the attitudes of those around you. HINT: It will likely begin to turn positive as well.
 
Come on...give it up. Who really wants to hang on to negative thinking? Honestly, some do, but not YOU!

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

Mike
 

Monday, November 10, 2014

1 of 8 Things to Give Up


I will share the complete graphic of this once we have completed the series so that you can have it for yourself but, for now, I'm only going to reveal them one at a time as they are discussed.

We are just a couple of month away from that time of the year when so many people declare their "New Year's Resolutions" which, as we all know, usually don't go much further than a month or so of effort.

A majority of these "resolutions" involve something that the particular person resolves to "give up" in order to get the results that they seek. Perhaps they give up certain foods in order to lose weight. Perhaps they give up drinking as much alcohol as they have been doing. Perhaps they decide to give up poor spending habits in order to reach some financial goals. The list could go on and on.

Why not get started EARLY with a list of things - 8 things - to give up that will, indeed, improve your life and your relationships?

I don't think these are in any particular order of importance, but, in the order of their appearance on this graphic of "8 Things to Give Up:"

#1. DOUBTING YOURSELF

On many of these eight entries, one thing we can do is to simply take a look at the "opposite" side/view. So, with this first listing, "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!"

I've shared a graphic before that said something along the lines of: "If you are going to doubt anything, doubt your limits!" Turn it around and approach this from a POSITIVE view.

Many times this issue comes from a lifetime of a person being constantly bombarded with "doubt thoughts" by parents, classmates, other family members as well as possible other people in their life.

When this has been a part of someones life, it does become difficult to think any other way. It becomes difficult to think that, what you have been told all of your life, is NOT true.

Even though I said that this was not in any particular of importance, this may actually be THE most important thing that must be done in order to have any sort of change in your life. This may be the BIGGEST obstacle to overcome in order to move forward with a more positive attitude about yourself and those around you.

I hadn't planned to do this but, with these thoughts in mind, I want to share (once again) with you my "7 Daily Affirmations" that I put together several years ago. Click on it, save it, print it off or whatever you need to do so that you can SEE it and VOCALIZE it - yes, say it out loud! - for your own life.


Yes, this is "easier said than done". But, friend, think about this:
"ANY THING that requires ACTION and that involves CHANGE will ALWAYS be 'easier said than done'. But remember, change comes not by what has been SAID but by what has been DONE!"
 
Think about these things and incorporate the "7 Daily Affirmations" into your life and also be sure to join me for the next  part of the listing of things we all need to give up.
 
Until then, whatever you do, be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike
 


 

Thursday, November 6, 2014

A Few Positive Thoughts and Images for You

Since this week's blog articles have been a bit different in their daily consistency, I thought I'd share a final blog of the week for you. I simply want to share some positive graphics that I've come across over the past few days. Some have been featured on the FB fan page and some have not.
I hope that one or more will encourage and uplift you as you look over them.
 


 
 
 

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

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Top 10 Tips to Avoid Being Scammed


 Here is a list of the "Top 10 Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed" that I have put together from my past experience. They are not in any particular order but they are ALL very important to keep in mind.

 
1. Don't "risk" more than you can afford to lose (even if it's "guaranteed refund"). If the "getting started" cost is $100 or if it's $25, if you can't afford to lose that, DON'T DO IT!
 
2. Don't believe the hype..."too good to be true" is not always false, but it SHOULD be a warning sign! Even the legitimate opportunities do tend to "over-promote" how "easy" it is to achieve success.
 
3. Realize that those that do well, quickly, likely have a HUGE list already in place in order to have people to market to. It takes a long time to build up such a list so, don't necessarily expect immediate results . It CAN happen, but don't get crushed if it doesn't. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
 
4. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB until you have matched or exceeded your current income for SEVERAL months CONSISTENTLY! (1 month is NOT consistently....think more along the line of 6 months or more)
 
5. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB because it also puts way too much pressure on your to "make it happen". The more pressure you put on yourself (and that "opportunity") the less likely you are to succeed.

6. If you don't have the $$ to invest in advertising then understand that you CAN get people to work with you (or be your customers) with "free methods" but it will take more "sweat equity" and more time.
 
7. Do NOT use your "real" phone number (but also do not make up or use someone else's #)
           a. if you don't have an alternative, use a "time/temp" number
           b. use Google Voice by getting a "gmail account" - USE THIS!
 
8. Consider having more than one "opportunity" set up and running in order to increase your "streams of income"...
     - don't "bite off more than you can chew" but there should be some that you can do without a LOT of physical work/time on your end
 
9. Decide for yourself! You cannot always rely on the "Rip-off Report", for example. Many times these are people that wanted someone to do it all for them and expected "magic" to happen and, when it didn't, they began to cry "scam! scam!" The final decision will ultimately be up to you.
 
10. Risk vs. Reward. This could also be looked at as comparing the "pros and cons". Yes, get out a sheet of paper (or do it on your computer) and make a list of the risks/cons as well as the rewards/pros. Is the REWARD big enough to overcome some of the RISK involved? Know this: There is ALWAYS risk involved in ANY situation like this. Again, the final decision will be yours.
 
***BONUS TIP: Do NOT go to some site for "Top Home Based Businesses"...you will get SWAMPED with emails and phone calls. They are only turning your information into a LEAD for people to buy. There is NO set up or "matching" you up with the "perfect" opportunity for you! Again, this is a way for companies to sell your information. Understand, too, that your information will NOT be sold only once. It will likely be sold five or more times and this could go on for months as your information gets recycled through "the lead system".


***See the blog articles from October 30th on two scams that I specifically warn you about and October 31st on four opportunities that I share information about that require no or low cost to get started.***
 
I hope that this has been helpful for you. Again, take the time to do your "due diligence" along the way. Until next time, whatever you do, always be sure to... 
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike