Rejoice!

I'm done with my series that was inspired by a poster full of really good phrases. If you didn't catch that, just go back for several articles (it starts HERE) and read through the last one.You will also find the website where you can even order that poster, if you'd like. No, I get nothing from that - just sharing something good with you. 

I really don't have a new "series" in mind at this point but, perhaps due to this being the "Holiday Season", I wanted to share THIS word with you for today's article...REJOICE!

Even if you find this and read it during the summer, it doesn't matter - the word applies each and every day.

I actually went ahead and looked up the definition of the word and thought I'd share it with you here:

verb (used without object), rejoiced, rejoicing.

   1. to be glad; take delight (often followed by in): to rejoice in another's happiness.

verb (used with object), rejoiced, rejoicing.

   2. to make joyful; gladden: a song to rejoice the heart.

So, to put it in other terms, the word "rejoice" means to be HAPPY and to MAKE HAPPY!

I don't know about you but, I like that. 

It's kind of like everything that I talk about here through Future You University. Apply these things to your life but don't keep them to yourself - SHARE THEM! 

Go back and read the last article on "Be AWESOME" and you'll see what I mean. I encourage you to not forget to BE awesome but to also share that encouragement with those around you. Let THEM know that they are, indeed, AWESOME,  just because of who they are. 

So it is with the idea of rejoicing or "being happy". YES, rejoice! YES, be happy! But, at the same time, be sure to share that with those around you so that they, too, can find what is needed to rejoice and be happy. 

Again, don't focus on what you don't have or on what is not "right" in your world. Instead, put your focus on what you DO have and on what is RIGHT in your world.

And then, REJOICE! 

As you think about that and incorporate that into your own life, also be sure to...

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

Be AWESOME!

Yeah, YOU! This closely ties in with the last blog article and podcast so, if you haven't read it yet, take a moment and do that. Go on. I'm waiting. 😏

Hear this loud and clear, friend - YOU ARE AWESOME! Don't forget that - don't EVER doubt and/or forget that!

Here's the #1 reason as to why this is true about you: You are the ONLY YOU that exists on the face of this wonderful planet called Earth! That's right - there is NO ONE ELSE LIKE YOU!

I don't care if you even have an "identical" twin - they are not you and are not uniquely you! (Um, think about this...do they have the same fingerprint as you? NOPE!)

Because this fact is true - You are, indeed, AWESOME!

No one else can do the things that you can do. No one else "brings to the table" the qualities and talents that you do. Why? Because NO ONE ELSE CAN!

Do you get that? Stop doubting that. Grab hold of this wonderful fact and let it cause you to stand strong and proud! No, I'm not telling you to get egotistical about all of this. This is not to give you a "big head". Get it?

However, you do need to take PRIDE in the fact that God created you to be uniquely YOU. That's right...out of the millions of people that have lived before, that live now and that will ever live - YOU are and will be the only YOU that will ever inhabit this Earth!

WOW!

You have the gift (that's right, YOU and your unique talents and abilities are a GIFT to you and to the world around you) to accomplish what no one else can accomplish. All because of the TRUE FACT that YOU are UNIQUELY YOU!

Now, get out there and don't forget to BE AWESOME!

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

TODAY is AWESOME!

In today's podcast I share a clip that I recorded back on September 17, 2012. An advertisement had come on the radio station that my wife and I were listening to and it indicated that if you ordered the cable package being advertised TODAY that you could then have an "awesome tomorrow". 

Really?

All I have to do is order this particular cable package and I will have an AWESOME tomorrow?

Wow, that's easy, right? 

I close out each of my blog articles and my podcasts with the phrase, "Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)" - Yeah, go ahead and look...it's down there. And, I worded that phrase the way I did ON PURPOSE!

The idea is to be determined that your day will be awesome - and that YOU will be the one in charge of making it that way. It's not dependent on other people or other things - its up to YOU!

Yes, it IS possible to have an AWESOME day even when everything is not just right. Yes, it IS possible to have an AWESOME day even when other people don't treat you just right. It IS possible because YOU have determined for your day to be awesome REGARDLESS of the circumstances. 

Have you ever heard of, or maybe even noticed for yourself, people that seem to "have it all" but, yet, are still miserable? Believe me, even if you haven't noticed these people - THEY ARE OUT THERE! "Stuff" doesn't make one happy nor does it make life awesome. 

Think about it. Have you ever noticed children that are all excited about a new gift that they receive for their birthday or, maybe, for Christmas? And, have you also noticed that, many times, after a short period of time this same gift doesn't get much attention any more?  "NEW THINGS", whether it's a toy, a car, a house, a job, a boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse or even a locations aren't "new" for long. The "shiny" wears of and the "new smell" goes away while the "thrill and excitement" becomes harder and harder to keep up. 

Then what?

Many jump to a new "toy", a new car, house, job, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse and even location only to go through the process all over again...and again...and again.

Several years ago I spent some time with a family down in Mexico. Compared to what we have in America, this family didn't have much. Their hot water heater was a black, plastic barrel that sat on top of the roof to absorb heat from the sun. Their house was very small and have very few modern appliances. Yet, I noticed that they (and many other families that I met) were some of the happiest people that I had ever met. 

I don't know all of the reasons as to why they were so happy but, I do know this: THEY DIDN'T BASE THEIR HAPPINESS ON "STUFF"! Their days were awesome because they made a decision to live a life "full of awesome" and it was obvious to those of us from the States. 

And it caused me to take a look at my own life and how, many times, we base our happiness or our feeling of awesome on what we do or don't have. 

So, do you want YOUR day (and life) to be AWESOME? Then decide, right now, that you will MAKE it that way. Make a choice and choose "awesome". 

Easier said than done? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean that it should be ignored and not applied.

As always, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

And, until next time, whatever you do,  be sure to...

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast son iTune   Podcast RSS feed

Make Today AWESOME!

Today is "Magical Monday"...Take advantage of YOUR magic today!

If you've read my blog for very long and if you've listened to my podcast for very long then you already know my "catch phrase" which is, "Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)".

I've mentioned in the past that I was very specific in the wording of this catch phrase and the meaning behind it. Let me touch on that once again before I get into the discussion on the first half of this phrase.

Too many people "settle" for the idea of "HAVING" a nice day. Think about it. How many times do you hear people say - or YOU say to another - "have a nice day!". Now, don't get me wrong! It's polite and it's nice but, I began to look at it as something you just "settle" for - HAVING a nice day. I don't know really how to explain it, but it's like, "Here....have this" and us, on this end saying, "Well, o.k...I guess I'll HAVE a nice day if you're offering it to me." Now, again, don't get upset with me on this if you say, "have a nice day" - NO BIGGIE.

However, I wanted to rephrase it in such a way that it emphasized the part that WE all play in the direction of our days - EVERY DAY! So, a few years back I came up with my catch phrase. Now you know if you didn't already. Now, THAT ALONE made this worthwhile, right? (Yeah, I'm smiling when I say that).

Seriously though, STOP WAITING for someone to bring the "magic" (yeah, Magical Monday, remember?) to your life, to your day and MAKE IT HAPPEN yourself! You've heard me say it or read it when I've written it - it's ALL a CHOICE!

I've also said this before - don't let the fact that I'm making this so simple cause you to skip over this. "Sometimes the PROFOUND can be FOUND in the simple!"

Who are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? Who are you waiting on? What are you waiting on? While you keep standing around WAITING the world is passing you by! The WORLD that is full of WONDER and all kinds of things and people that can TRULY create a sense of AWE in your day.

Be sure to listen to the podcast that goes along with this topic (iTunes - http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739 or the RSS feed - http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml ).

Hey friend, would you do me a favor? If you find value/benefit in this blog and/or my podcast, would you please share them with someone? I'd appreciate it and I say, "Thank you!" in advance.

Today IS "magical" and today IS full of all kinds of awe-inspiring things ... things that will truly make your day AWESOME.

Wait a minute, I thought you said NOTHING can make it awesome for me? Nothing did. YOU did when you decided to open your eyes and take it all in!

Keep looking and absorbing and enjoying and, as you do so, continue to...

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

Leaving Your Positive Footprint

“Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some move our souls to dance.
They awaken us to new understanding
with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for awhile,
leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never, ever the same.”
-Anonymous

In today's podcast - let me first of all clarify something - I DO realize that the correct term is "carbon footprint" and not "carbon imprint" (and yes, I'm grinning as I type this!). I realized that I had made the mistake when I listened to my recording to make sure things fit together as planned BUT I wasn't going to try to correct that. I still think you got the point in the podcast (even though you may have had a laugh!) and, I prefer for my podcast to have as much of a "live" feel as possible even though they are recorded.

O.k now - on to the topic at hand! Number one premise for us to set down for the day is this:

You DO leave an IMPACT each and every day!

(And this is regardless of HOW you approach your day - positive OR negative!)

So, once again, we come back to the point of "choice" - it's YOUR CHOICE as far as the type of impact you wish to leave on the world around you. Yup, it's all still up to you!

IMPACT YOUR WORLD! This can be a daunting task to consider, right? But, notice closely that I did not say, "Impact THE world" but "YOUR world" instead. There is a big difference!

For one, it IS a daunting task for any of us to consider making an impact on the whole world - there are very few people in history that have lived in such a way as to have such a huge impact!

However, when we break this down to OUR world it becomes more manageable. So, it is important for us to "define" what, exactly, encompasses "OUR WORLD".

Here's a short list to consider - make it personal and add to it so that you can get very specific in your approach:

1. Your children, your spouse - YOUR FAMILY

2. Your neighbors (whether in an apartment building or a neighborhood)

3. Your co-workers

4. Your circle of friends

5. Those you have contact with on a daily basis (your child's teacher(s), school bus driver, etc., the parking attendant, store clerk, waiter/waitress, YOUR bus driver, paper delivery person - on and on we could go here -- YOU add to the list from YOUR life)

6. Those at your church or social group

Even though this list can grow quickly, it is still a much more manageable size group than considering the whole world.

BUT HERE IS THE KICKER!

Your impact spreads far beyond those on your list! Think about that and consider how your actions impact the lives of those around you which, in turn, very likely will influence their impact on those that THEY contact on a daily basis.

Just like the ripples on a pond from a rock tossed into the water, so is your impact and influence on those around you. It doesn't stop with the initial "splash" that is made - it goes out further and further beyond the point of contact.

WOW! Pretty amazing to think about, isn't it?

Here's a challenge for today (and then tomorrow and the day after that and then the day after that and then....well, you get the point, right?) -- see how many people you can help smile today.

Whether that is a child or an elderly person (and all points in between) - think about the impact you can have just by sharing yourself with others and bringing a smile to the face of others.

And then watch the ripple effect take off - beyond your knowledge and beyond your initial contact.

Each and every day we leave an imprint or a footprint -- why not do all that you can to leave your POSITIVE footprint on the world - YOUR world -- along the way?

And...here's a twist from today's podcast -

"Make someone else's day awesome? That is something you may can do for them!"

(And yours will be awesome in return - guaranteed!)

Mike

Celebrating My 100th Podcast!

Today (Tuesday, 8.4.09) I celebrate the broadcast of my 100th podcast!

I began my first podcast on March 2, 2009 (my middle son's birthday) and started out with a Monday-Wednesday-Friday format which soon turned into the five-days-a-week format that I now follow.

I share thanks on the podcast but I just want to say to all of you that listen - THANK YOU for doing so and for encouraging me with your kind emails and comments...they keep me going!

May I ask a favor of all of you? SPREAD THE WORD! We all need as much encouragement as possible and I encourage you to share this with as many people as possible. I try to keep it down to a very "manageable" time - 11 minutes to be exact - so that it doesn't take up too much time in your day.

Again, THANK YOU! My pledge to you continues to be the following:

"I will always strive to do my best to provide you with my best."

Enjoy the podcast and tomorrow I will get back on discussing the "Six Ghosts of Fear" from Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich".


And, as always - "Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

YOUR Amazing Race!

Wow, I'm "pumped"! As you know, my wife and I attended the "Success Symposium" in Dallas this past Saturday and - IT WAS AWESOME!
I'll be sharing a lot of good stuff from that over the next several days and likely weeks!

It was also great to meet Angie Strader (http://www.theworldneedsmorehappy.com/) and her husband, Tommy while we were there. Great people! I had the chance to do an interview with Angie during lunch and I will have that up on a future podcast very soon.

Last night (Sunday) as I was preparing thoughts for my podcast, I was watching the last half hour or so of "The Amazing Race" and it just hit me....WE are all involved in our own "amazing race"! So, I "scratched" what I thought I wanted to talk about and went with this idea. And, I must say, if you listen to that podcast and can't tell I'm pumped then you might need to check your hearing! ;)

Listen friend, we ARE all involved in this race - this JOURNEY - are we not? Every day, good and/or bad, is part of this race/journey that takes place before us each and every day. Here's the kicker - WHAT WILL YOU DO in YOUR race?

Yup, you'll hear me say it again - IT'S YOUR CHOICE!

Some of you may still be sitting on the sidelines and....
- stretching...preparing to enter the race (how long are you going to stretch?)
- wondering if you should enter the race (hello? it's YOUR race, remember?)
- dreading the race and the pain that might come with it (a life without some pain does not exist...those that have no pain are no longer with us!)
- watching....you can't run a race from the sidelines - GET IN THE RACE!
- comparing yourself to other participants -- you are YOU and it's YOUR race!

No one else can run it for you! No one else is you - YOU live and participate in YOUR race in YOUR world. But whatever you do - DO IT! (Why not now? - remember?)

It's AWESOME to experience life. Yes, even the "bad" or "down" times help us to know that we are alive!

So, get off the sidelines and enter YOUR race.
When you "hit the wall" - keep going!
Remember, all races are done the same way - ONE STEP AT A TIME.

Here's to YOUR AMAZING RACE!

And....
"Make it an AWESOME day (and race) - Who else is going to do it for you?"

Mike Spillman

Why Not ME? (plus added BLOG BONUS)

For today's podcast I discuss something that I have discussed in various articles and blogs on different sites in the past.

Yet, it is still SO VERY relevant as we continue on our path to improving our future. Why? Because if we don't ever allow ourselves to realize that WE HAVE THE POWER AND THE POTENTIAL to accomplish what we desire in our lives -- nothing will ever change. All things will remain the same.

Remember, often we "listen" to all of the negative talk around us and choose to believe it about ourselves. It could be hearing those that have told us in the past, "You'll never amount to anything!" to even those around us now that might say, "What? You think you're going to do WHAT with your future? Give it up! You'll never move beyond the job you have now and you might as well stop dreaming and accept reality." - Ever hear anything like that before?

But - it's YOUR choice! It's up to YOU! Ask yourself the question: "WHY NOT ME?" In the podcast I encourage you to write those words down on a piece of paper in bold print and post it where you will see it many times a day. As you see that, make sure you allow that message to get through to your brain and maybe even say it out loud - "WHY NOT ME?"

Here's the BLOG BONUS. This is simply something that I thought about after I completed my podcast and wanted to share with you...

What do you focus on? Think about that for a second as I share a little more about what I mean. How many of you are like this -- you can have 100 people tell you something positive about a job you have done, etc. and have ONE person say something negative about it and that ONE is what you focus on?

We forget or dismiss the 100 and focus on the ONE - why?

Sure, some of it MIGHT be "human nature" - but does it have to be that way? I have to admit that I have struggled many times with the same thing, but I am getting better at it. One way that I have helped myself improve in this area is to realize this: I AM GOOD AT WHAT I DO! Sure, I appreciate the compliments - but I should not allow the compliments determine in my own mind whether I did a good job or not. (Yes, feedback is always good - but, again, be careful with how you use it).
Someone shared this formula with me several years ago along this same line. There are 10% of people that think you can do NO WRONG. There are another 10% that think you can do NOTHING RIGHT. Don't pay a whole lot of attention to either of these groups, but rather realize that it's the other 80% that will help you in honest feedback.

I have used that and it has been very beneficial for me.

So, once again - WHY NOT ME? Wednesday we will take this a step further and examine the question, "Why not NOW?"

Until then - Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)

Mike

It's YOUR Day and It's YOUR Choice!

It's Monday! How do you feel about that?

So many of us DREAD Monday's and, if we REALLY dread it a lot, it begins to even affect our weekend.

Isn't there something that we can do about that? SURE THERE IS!

You see, regardless of the day or the situation, we need to CLAIM OWNERSHIP of our day - "It's MY day!". (I can't help it, but that commercial of people sticking their heads out of their windows and yelling, "It's my money and I need it now!" just flashed through my head!)

But, in the same way, it IS your day - and you need to CLAIM IT NOW!

Yes, you can choose to MAKE IT (take action!) an AWESOME (not mediocre) day - it's up to you. I want to encourage you to stop "allowing" others to impact your day to the point that you give them "ownership" over your day. How often do you think or utter words such as, "That person ruined my day"?

That's only possible if we allow it to be possible. I, personally, belive it to be IMPOSSIBLE! No one has that power over your day. Oh, I know that they can sure do everything within their power to "rain on your parade" - but it's your choice as to whether you will allow that or whether you will dance, celebrate and have your parade anyway!

IT'S YOUR CHOICE!

What do you choose for YOUR day today?

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

Mike Spillman