Start Here

My guess is that we've all seen stories of people that rose up from horrible circumstances to experience incredible success which inspires all that find out about such a person.

Usually, when I see such stories shared, it's with the idea of, "Look at what they have been able to accomplish - what's YOUR excuse?" And it IS powerful. Very powerful.

Yet, for many of us, we've not had to fight such huge difficulties BUT, at the same time, many of us still struggle with setbacks of our own. (No, I'm not comparing "apples to apples" and I understand that).

You can have the best background in your life and still struggle with current circumstances. You may have had the best childhood possible but, your adult years may have put you in circumstances that you never thought you'd experience.

Here's the focus of the message for today (from the graphic above): "Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go, they merely determine WHERE YOU START."

So, here you are. "Current circumstances" may have you stunned and/or feeling discouraged, depressed and even defeated.

"As long as there is breath, there's hope." is a quote I have used often since coming up with it back on March 2, 2009. THERE IS HOPE!

It may not happen overnight but you CAN move on from where you are now. And you can begin that process now as well. Hey, we can all fuss and complain about it not being fair or how angry we may be or whatever the emotions may evoke due to your current circumstances. BUT, where you are is where you are. This is where you must start regardless of what has been fair or not fair.

START HERE!

It is what it is but also remember WHO YOU ARE and what you are capable of. You are one that has been created with tremendous resilience and potential in spite of setbacks.

So, friend, get up and go - REGARDLESS.

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

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

Mike

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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

Shake It Off and Move On!

Shake It Off and Move On!

So why is there a donkey staring me in the face? If you don't know already then it's obvious you haven't listened to the podcast for today, so I'll have to explain in a moment.

This past Saturday my youngest son, Jordan, graduated from High School and, during the ceremony, the featured speaker shared a simple - yet powerful - story about an old donkey (aha! Now I know why there's a donkey staring me in the face!).

It seems that this old donkey was walking around the farm when he stumbled into an old, dry well on the property. The old farmer, discovering this old donkey down in this dry well thought about it for a little while and decided that since there was no way he could get the old donkey out of the well and, also, since the old donkey wasn't really good for much of anything, that he'd just fill in the well with the donkey in it.

Now, that sounds harsh, I know - but it's just part of the story, o.k.?

The old farmer then called together his neighbors and asked them to all bring a shovel so that they could fill in this old dry well and be done with it. As the crowd dumped shovel after shovel of dirt down the well the old donkey would simply shake the dirt off of his back and step up on the dirt that was now beneath him. Most did not notice this at first - the action was so small and unnoticeable - but, soon, the crowd begin to notice that the donkey was continually shaking the dirt off of his back and then stepping up and getting closer and closer to the top of the old well.

As you can imagine, eventually, the old donkey finally stepped up one last time and walked on out of the well and off into the distance! A silly and corny story, yes, but it does have a very powerful message attached!

The graduation speaker then challenged this graduating class with the idea that they must be like the old donkey and be prepared to "shake it off and step up" as they encounter struggles in their lives. I added "move on" to the equation because that is what the donkey did once he had gotten out of the well.

"Shake it off, step up and move on!"

What a powerful formula for all of us to remember and put into practice in our lives.

By now, you have likely heard me (or read my writings stating such) say that there are more than enough people that are more than happy to dump their "negative dirt" (let's get blunt here - "negative CRAP!") on us again and again and again.

If we do not have the determination to prevent this from having an impact on our lives then this negative crap will begin to weigh us down and wear us out until we finally crumble under the weight and give in to stay put and never make advancement in our lives.

WILL YOU ALLOW THAT?

Instead, let's determine that we will shake off this negative crap - don't allow it to stay "on your back" or in your mind! Shake it off! It's worthless and useless! The only worth it may have is if you use it as "fuel for your fire" and determination to move on REGARDLESS of what others may say and/or do!

Shake it off and then STEP UP, determined to not stay put. Determined to move FORWARD in your life! Keep doing so and you will soon discover that you have, indeed, moved on in your life!

Powerful, powerful story! Simple, yes. But again, do not allow the fact that is simple cause you to overlook the power found within.

So, today, I encourage you to be determined to do just like the old donkey - "Shake it off, step up and move on!"

You can do it! One step at a time and one day at a time.

And, as you go through each day, always remember to...

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

Mike

" I CAN! I WILL! I MUST!

#7: "I CAN! I WILL! I MUST!"

Well, here we are on the last of my 7 Daily Affirmations....wait a minute, let me get that whole, wonderful title I have for these on here:

"7 Life-Changing, Life-Directing, Powerful, Daily Affirmations!"

There, that's better! I purposely created the "heading" for these daily affirmations to be full of life and vitality because I believe them to be exactly that!

Again, if you don't have the complete listing in front of you, go to the archives on the right column of this blog and click on the January link and go back to Monday, January 4th. I have listed all 7 of them there.

Remember, too, that I have strongly suggested that, even if you do "tweak" these and adapt them for your own life, you leave the first one as is and in the position of first. I feel that it is the very foundation of my own affirmations as well as any that you may work with for your life.

And, as you will see, it plays a significant part in this last of my 7 daily affirmations: "I CAN! I WILL! I MUST!"

I CAN!

As I mentioned on the podcast, this last affirmation is designed to send me out into the day with a burst of energy and belief! So, even after affirming all of the other things (#'s 1 - 6) I want to end on a powerful affirmation of what I intend to do with these affirmations.

First of all, I want to affirm that I CAN do the things that I have determined to do! Again, go back to the very first affirmation, "I AM Somebody Special!" and this is the very reason I CAN do what I have set out to do!

Because I AM somebody special, I CAN accomplish great things and I CAN touch and change many lives for the better! I CAN "stick to my guns" concerning the size of my dreams. I CAN brush off the negative remarks that may come my way when the "dream stealers" try to tell me that I can't! I CAN be a giver and not a taker even though it seems that most of the world would tell me to do and be otherwise!

You MUST have this belief - or at least be developing this belief in your life. If you don't believe you can (or if you are not working on instilling that belief in your life) you will have a hard time accomplishing your dreams and goals. NO ONE ELSE can do this for you.

I WILL!

We can say anything we want. We can make big plans and talk about them all day long. We can share them with others and tell them all of the great things we are going to do. We can tell ourselves that as well. However, unless we put ACTION behind the words and plans they will amount to absolutely nothing!

So, for me, this part of this last affirmation is just as important - if not more so - than just believing that I CAN! Not only is it important for me to acknowledge and affirm that I do have the ability to carry this out, I must now determine that I WILL do so!

Stop talking about what you PLAN to do and start doing it! To say that you WILL do this doesn't mean that you will "someday" but that you WILL "take steps on this journey TODAY!" (#6).

I MUST!

I'm not sure how you feel about your plans, dreams and goals and the NECESSITY of them in your life. (Might I suggest that if you don't find an urgency and a necessity to your dreams and goals that, perhaps, you have the wrong dreams and goals?).

For me, these daily affirmations are things that I CAN do, I WILL do and I MUST do! These are not just cute little sayings that I put together. These must be things that go beyond "feel good" words. These are things that I have determined are ABSOLUTE NECESSITIES in and for my life!

I MUST do these things! I MUST establish these truths ("I AM Somebody Special!) in my life and then I must also live out these truths in my life!

In order for me to move on toward my dreams and goals (#6) I must have the feeling and knowledge that, in order to do so, I MUST incorporate these truths into my life and I MUST actively purse them as well.

There is NO OTHER WAY for me.

What about YOU?

Again, only YOU can decide these things for your life. Only YOU can know the determination that you have or the determination that you must develop in order to take steps on this journey each and every day.

But, here's the great news. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Not only do I believe that my podcasts and blog will help you, but there are countless other quality materials available for you out there as well. You have all the help you need if you search for it.

So, again, bottom line: WHAT'S YOUR EXCUSE?

Let's all stop making excuses and start making progress in our lives....TOGETHER!

Agreed? AGREED!

And, never forget to...

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

Mike

"Stinkin' Opinions"

Hey there - it's "WIDE OPEN WEDNESDAY" - what will YOU do with it? (As a matter of fact, it's a WIDE OPEN WEEK - just for you!

In today's podcast I continue the discussion on chapter 8 from Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think and Grow Rich". The title of this chapter is "DECISION" and, as is pointed out in this chapter, many times our DECISIONS are impacted by the opinions of others.

Read carefully in the book and listen carefully to the podcast at how careful we must be in "broadcasting" our goals and dreams. Why? Because, for one, there are plenty of "dream stealers" out there, just waiting to take away your dream.

As is discussed in this chapter (and podcast) there are those out there (yes, sometimes even "friends" and family members) that would take great joy in bringing your dreams and goals crashing down around you. Why? Because it's easier to do that than for them to make the effort themselves to change their lives!

YOU MAKE THEM LOOK BAD! That's right! By your own DESIRE and AMBITION you have made them look bad - because they have neither. (This is how negativity works in our world. Never build up, but simply attack, attack, attack!)

Realize a point made in this chapter - you have a brain - USE IT to make YOUR OWN DECISIONS!

Even choose carefully those you would include in your Mastermind Group. Advice? Guidance? Suggestions? YES!
Opinions from those who have no knowledge of these things - NO!

Enjoy the podcast. Dive DEEP into this book and this chapter. THIS CHAPTER is one of GREAT importance because, no matter what all we do in preparation and planning - if we fail to make the DECISION to put these things into action.....we've really accomplished nothing at all.

Is all of this easier said than done? ABSOLUTELY! But that's why we do these podcasts - to encourage you, to help you, to aid you and to LIFT YOU UP along your way! Do the same with each other and, as always...

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

Mike

"Wide Open Wednesday" -- Organized Planning

First of all, I refer to today as "WIDE-OPEN WEDNESDAY" (usually called, "Wonderful Wednesday" which, it still is). Why? Because the day - regardless of what day you listen to the podcast or which day you read this blog - is WIDE OPEN for you! It's YOUR choice! Yes, you DO have choices that will greatly influence the direction of your day as well as YOUR ATTITUDE in the course of this day.

What will YOU do?

Today's podcast focuses on the chapter entitled, "Organized Planning" in Napoleon Hill's classic book, "Think & Grow Rich".

You have heard and/or read the following many times - "To fail to plan is to plan to fail!"

How true that is!

In this chapter, Mr. Hill really emphasizes the need to make adequate plans as we pursue our"riches" (whatever they may be). If you suffer a "temporary defeat" - DON'T QUIT, DON'T GIVE UP! This "temporary defeat" simply means that your plan was flawed and that you need to revisit your plans and see what needs to be corrected.

However, what do we usually do? WE QUIT as the first sign of difficulty or perceived failure! How many times have YOU done that? How many times have you given up on an idea because you thought you put the adequate planning and effort into it and it failed anyway? Even the best laid out plans may fail!

That's why it is also so important to develop your "Mastermind Group" as is discussed briefly in this chapter (he devotes a complete chapter to this later on the book). Others may be able to help you look at your plan(s) differently from a different perspective and offer solid advice.

"Your achievement can be no greater than your plans are sound." What a great - and true - quote this is from this chapter!

Once again, what are you willing to do in order to achieve your goals? ("What Are Your Dreams Worth?" is the title of an early podcast that I did in March). As we look to successful people, we too often assume that they achieved what they have easily or we just simply focus on their triumphs. Do we understand and realize how many "temporary defeats" they have gone through to get where they are? Some of these people have gone through MAJOR setbacks, but got back up and went at it again, REFUSING TO GIVE UP AND/OR GIVE IN!

Will you? Will I? Will we?

This - in my opinion - is where many of us fail. Less than adequate plans and then giving up when those plans do not work the way we wanted them to.

I know that I am learning from this book - and specifically this chapter - in my quest toward my goals. In Thursday's podcast we will continue our discussion on this chapter.

As always, I welcome any and all comments about this blog, my podcasts or anything you'd like to share - just shoot me an e-mail at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

And, as always...

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

Success Needs No Apologies! - "Magical Monday"

I hope that you are enjoying our discussions from the book, "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill in our current podcasts. I know I am enjoying sharing this information with you and am getting "more comfortable" with the amount of material to share in such a limited time on these podcasts.

That being the case, today's podcast is the 2nd part of the discussion on Chapter 2 - DESIRE.

As Mr. Hill continues his emphasis on DESIRE being the starting point of all achievement he also emphasizes that fact that we must have a DEFINITENESS OF PURPOSE - the knowledge of what one wants and the burning DESIRE to possess it.

We may choose to call that "FOCUS". Whatever you choose to call it and whether or not your "goal" is to be wealthy (rich) - WHATEVER YOUR GOAL, you MUST have that burning desire within that will drive you through any and all perceived failures along the way. We have already discussed that in some of our recent discussions on this topic.

However, as I look at this statement - I also see the importance of knowing your "WHY". Your PURPOSE - WHY are you pursuing this goal/dream? Is it simply to amass wealth? I'm thinking, since you are reading this, that the answer to that would be "no". Is it for your family and their financial security? Do you have something (a group, organization, charity) in mind with which you plan to share? Do you have something in mind that you want to do that requires more money than you have right now? WHAT IS THE "WHY" BEHIND YOUR DESIRE?

Another of the quotes in this chapter that I brought out was the following:

"Success requires NO APOLOGIES, failure permits NO ALIBIS."

WOW! Think about that! Perhaps we do not pursue "success" because we often feel that we need to apologize for doing so! Again, go back to the discussion last week on the thought of, "Is it wrong to desire wealth?" Should we feel GUILTY or APOLOGIZE because we seek success or achieve success?
NO!
If it were not for successful people - those that had a BURNING DESIRE to achieve success - we would not have many of the things that make our lives not only convenient but also healthier, safer, etc. Thomas Edison never gave up! He pushed forward again and again after many perceived "failures" while creating the "light bulb" as we know it today. His thought on this - each "failure" was just one step closer to "success". Why? He said that it was just another answer to "what doesn't work"! Wow! What an attitude. Aren't you glad he succeeded?
FAILURE PERMITS NO ALIBIS - stop making excuses! We are good at that, are we not? Do not accept anything less than your best and stop listening to even others that want to make excuses for you! Now, this is a fine line that we walk - on one hand we shouldn't "beat ourselves up" when we fall short of a goal. However, IF this goal is something that we have a BURNING DESIRE to achieve and it has a PURPOSE then we must also not allow the "comforting words" allow us to get TOO comfortable and relax and settle for mediocrity.
See what I mean?

And, finally, the last quote I wanted to discuss was one that should make a HUGE impact on our thought process as we have discussed it so far in our discussion.

"Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success."

What a GREAT way to look at these perceived "failures". Will we allow ourselves to LEARN from these setbacks? This is exactly what Thomas Edison did! He allowed each failure to bring him one step closer to success - it is within each of us to do the same!

Stop counting your failures and allowing that to stop you from moving forward! Instead, look at all of the seed that has been planted and let that propel you with forward momentum. My goodness, with that in mind, I have seeds planted for a BOUNTIFUL CROP OF SUCCESS! What about you?

What great information - I am so glad that Napoleon Hill did not give up on his pursuit of this book, aren't you?

We will continue our discussion on chapter 2 in tomorrow's podcast. Until then...

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

Mike

"Translating DESIRE into REALITY" (part 2) - TERRIFIC TUESDAY!!

One thing I can tell already as I begin these discussions from Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich" is that I am going to have to pinpoint fewer points that I want to cover with each podcast! THERE IS JUST SO MUCH GOOD STUFF in this book that it makes it hard to do.

I know there's no hurry - but, at the same time, I'd like to TRY to keep it to two episodes per chapter...but I'm not sure that will be possible.

I apologize if it "sounds" like I was a little "hectic" on the first two episodes covering the first chapter. I think I am still trying to determine the "main focus points" I want to cover in each chapter. I appreciate your patience and welcome any and all insight YOU have as YOU read (or have read) this outstanding book.

The main point I want to go a little deeper with here than on the podcast is the idea of:

SUCCESS Consciousness vs. FAILURE Consciousness

Mr. Hill points out how important our MIND is in this whole process of "thinking (get the point?) and growing rich" - and "rich" can be whatever you want your definition to be! Successful in whatever way defines success for you.

This is also stressed in my "tag line" for Future You University..."Where we believe that your greatest education takes place on the campus of your mind." Simply put - as has been said before - whether you think you CAN or CAN'T - you're right!

Many of us live with a FAILURE CONSCIOUSNESS - we have suffered "failure" and, that being the case, have given up vowing to never ever try to "stick our necks out" again. Never. Yet, as is pointed out in this first chapter with the Mr. Darby that stopped three feet from a fortune in gold - it is possible to allow those "failures" to teach us important lessons - namely, DO NOT QUIT just because of a perceived "failure"!

Someway, somehow we MUST learn to switch that FAILURE consciousness over to a SUCCESS CONSCIOUSNESS. One way - in my opinion - is to realize that failure IS a part of success! It's true! All you have to do is do a little research on ANY successful person and take a look at their life and you will see "failures" in their life. The difference is - THEY KEPT GOING and DID NOT GIVE UP!

That, in a nutshell is the SUCCESS consciousness that we must all develop. One of the first 3 or 4 podcasts I did was entitled, "What Are Your Dreams Worth?" which focused on this very idea: how far will you go, how long will you go in the pursuit of your dream? If it's not "worth" much - you'll quit at the first sign of defeat or difficulty. You can SAY it's worth this or that - but you will prove by your ability - or inability - to stick to the pursuit of this dream how valuable this dream truly is.

Well, that's enough for now - share your thoughts with me here or via my email at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

I'd love to hear from you and, always remember -

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

Mike

Turning DESIRE Into REALITY (part 1)

Today's podcast begins a discussion on Napoleon Hill's classic book: "Think and Grow Rich". Again, you can get a free copy by going to the link over in the right hand column of this blog.

I basically cover some information in the preface and the first part of chapter 1. Here's one of the main things I talk about as far as Napoleon Hill himself - this book was the effort of 20 years! Do you get that? 20 years!! Over that time period he spent time interviewing over 47 people (I'm not sure of the exact number, but he lists 47 in the book and says there were more) and also applying and testing their principles shared. He discovered that all of them shared some of the same traits and ideas shared! When you look at the list you discover great men of business (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison for example) as well as President's of the United States of America. Twenty years of discussion, thought, testing, questioning and applying these principles -- all with the intent of sharing this information through a book.

That fact alone tells me that this was a great man! To be this disciplined on a task. To be this focused on continuing this all the way to it's completion. To be this dedicated to learning and sharing these principles. Wow!

I share the very beginnings of a story that Mr. Hill tells in the first chapter - and will tell more of the story in tomorrow's podcast - about a man that stopped three feet short of a fortune in gold. THREE FEET SHORT!

What about us? How dedicated are we to turning a DESIRE (or idea) into REALITY? How committed are we to "seeing it through" without giving up and quitting at the first sign of difficulty? Are we willing to do what it takes and stick it out? Are we willing to keep going in the midst of possible perceived failure?

Please feel free to join in this discussion here or by sending me an email at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

I'd love to hear your input on these important topics!

And, as always....

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

Mike

KNOW That You Can!

When you listen to today's podcast (if you haven't already) you will be able to tell that I get very passionate about this topic. Actually, you will hear some frustration expressed about those that will do everything that they can to KEEP YOU from making positive progress in your life!

Think about it. Let's use the example of deciding to lose weight. You share your news with several of your "friends" and prepare to begin your journey. Likely, even at the mention of your plans you will have one of your "friends" (you may want to reconsider this label) drop a "negative grenade" on your plans. They may say something like, "Oh, why do you want to waste your time doing that? You're just like the rest of us - you can't lose weight!"
I know that, already, some of you are nodding your head because you've experienced this, haven't you?
And these so-called "friends" will continue to be negative anytime you share your progress. As a matter of fact, they will even share their negative comments even if you DON'T share your progress. For example, you walk into the office and they may say, "Hey, I thought you were on a diet? Have you started it yet?" They may even do things like offer you a piece of cake or a doughnut and then say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you were trying to lose weight!" NOTICE: They DID NOT forget! They are trying to sabotage your efforts - you can be sure of that!
And then they will whine and complain about the fact that they "need" to lose weight and about how they can't and they wish they could.
I think the Greek word for that is.... HOGWASH!

So, yeah, I do get a little upset at people like that. It makes it hard for anyone that tries to make a positive move in their life. By the way, you can use any example that you want, and the result will be the same - you will have others that are determined to keep you where they are. Why? For one, they don't want the "spotlight" shining on them and their inability to even produce the DESIRE to actually DO SOMETHING about the state of their lives.

I actually know of a husband that, in years past would actually unhook wires under the hood of his wife's car so that she could not do something that would improve her life. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

So, it is important to instill this determination deep within -YES, YOU CAN! Although it may be hard you MUST block out these negative forces and, yes, you may even need to withdraw from the situation. Again, reconsider how much of a "friend" they actually are when, instead of encouraging you and being happy for you, they try to derail your efforts.

Sometimes we can't. Sometimes we live with them. And, yes, you need to sit down with them and try to talk to them about what they are actually doing (they usually already know it and will deny it). What do you do if they still don't listen?

LOAD UP ON THE POSITIVE!

Think of it as a scale that has two sides to show what object is heavier. You must do everything within your power to make sure that the POSITIVE outweighs the NEGATIVE!

The very fact that you are reading this shows that you are making an effort to do just that. If it's not enough - then find more positive things to incorporate into your life and RID your life of ANYTHING negative that will fight you in this effort to tip the scale in your positive side. Hint: pay attention to what you watch on t.v. and read in newspapers/magazines/on-line.

Again, it's up to you. We (you and I) cannot expect others to do it for us. Yes, there are friends that actually DO encourage us and help us along the way - aren't you glad? But, we still cannot rely on them to do it for us. It's up to us!

And, KNOW -- deep inside - KNOW THAT YOU CAN!

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

Mike Spillman

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

Frustrating Challenges!! (We ALL Have Them)

Wow. What a frustrating past few days I've had. Yes, even people like me that try to focus on the positive and tries to share that with people like you, have frustrating days!

It seems like one thing after another has not gone the way I would have preferred and, due to that, I've not slept well in about five nights which has tended to keep me "on edge".

One of the things I discuss on today's podcast is the fact that I was trying to update and improve my web page (http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/) and something happened to where it's not even up right now. SO DON'T GO THERE expecting to find anything at this point. I will update the status of that page on here so you will know when it's available again.

You want to hear "the kicker"? Now this is really kind of funny if you allow yourself to look at it this way - and it's the only way I know to look at it at this point. After recording this podcast and talking about "Frustrating Challenges" I went on to the next step in order to upload the audio so that this podcast would be available for you to listen to. Guess what happened? My internet connection went down during this process and was still not working by the time I finally decided that I needed to go to bed. So.....the podcast has been "made public" a little later than I had planned. My apologies for anyone that tried to check on today's episode only to find it not available.

I share a few quotes on today's podcast that can help us think about those "situations" as well as those "people" that bring frustration into our lives - I think you will enjoy these and benefit from them as well.

Oh yeah, one positive thing that happened during all of this.... after recording this podcast and before my internet connection went down I received a message from one of my listeners that was very complimentary on what I'm doing with this podcast. Do you know how helpful that was? Do you know how much I NEEDED that message at that moment? I have thanked the person that sent that message and I just want to encourage you in a couple of areas:
1. Don't allow the frustrating challenges cause you to miss the positive that still surrounds you
2. Don't pass on an opportunity to encourage someone - you never know what may be going on in their life and how much they may need that encouragement.

Well, that's it for today - enjoy the podcast, share the joy even during those "frustrating challenges".

And always remember to.....
"Make it an AWESOME Day! (who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

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