"E" in BELIEF

- EVENTS -

 

In my last article I began this series by using the word, "BEYOND" for the letter"B" in the word, "BELIEF". Go back and read that if you haven't done so yet, but I'll give you a very quick recap: We must be able to look, think and act BEYOND our current circumstances in order to reach our goals and dreams.

 

Today I want to use the word, "EVENTS" for the letter "E" in the word, "BELIEF".

 

Dictionary.com has the following as the first definition of the word, EVENT: "something that happens or is regarded as happening; an occurrence, especially one of some importance. "

 

Wow, when you look at that definition you see how "broad" and "general" an "event" really is! Look at that: "something that happens" and/or "an occurrence".

 

So, here's the point: EVENTS HAPPEN EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE and SEVERAL TIMES DURING EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE!

 

Some events are good, some are not so good and some are "neutral" in that they are really neither good or bad. For example, getting out of bed is not necessarily good or bad. However, the REASON you got out of bed might make it one or the other.

 

Did you get out of bed due to a sick child? Did you get out of bed due to a noise that you heard in your house that you needed to check out? Did you get out of bed due to some emergency?  Or did you simply get out of bed due to the fact that the alarm clock went off and it was time to get up and get ready for work?

 

Makes a difference, doesn't it?

 

As you can see, depending on the event, your day can easily swing from one end to the other on the "positive attitude" pendulum.

 

Sometimes we allow the "small" events to have more impact on us than they deserve. Have you ever allowed some small event to "set you off" on some negative thought process that even spilled out into verbal negativity? Sure you have...we all have.

 

If we allow ourselves to go unchecked on our response to such small events then how will we combat negativity when those events that are truly "life-changing" come our way?

 

Want to check something out for yourself? At the end of the day, sit down and write down as many "events" as you can that occurred during your day. Now, listen, I understand that this list could get VERY long, very quickly, if you write down every little thing that took place today. But try to go through your day and try to "track" your reaction to the "events" of the day.

 

Start with getting out of bed. That's right, write it down and write down how that went for you. Were you in a good mood? Bad mood? Did you wake up dreading the day or were you excited about the day ahead?

 

If you went to a job, did anything happen along the way that impacted you one way or the other? For example, if you had the radio on, what did you listen to and how did that influence you? Happy music? Positive information? Negative news and commentary? What about the journey to work, itself? Traffic? Smooth sailing?

 

What about when you arrived at your job? Did you share a positive attitude when you walked in or did you allow any negativity that you may have already collected influence what happened at that point?

 

See what I mean? Just adjust it to where it applies to YOUR day and see how it went. Be honest with yourself so that you can really take a look at how you are allowing events to mold your attitude through the course of a "normal" day.

 

We must develop the ability to look BEYOND our current circumstances and the EVENTS that make up the structure of those circumstances.

 

Think about it, dig deep and map out a plan.

 

And, as always, 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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Why We Repeat Our Mistakes

So, as a recap, over the past couple of days we've talked about the fact that there is no shame in having to start over. No matter how many times you've had to start over, it doesn't matter. The key thing is the fact that you did NOT give up!

 

Yesterday I stated that the only problem that we need to take a look at is WHY we are starting over so many times. Like I said, there are situations that are beyond our control that cause us to have to start over, HOWEVER, I also stated that I could tell you the #1 REASON why we often have to start over so often.

 

If you haven't looked at that yet, take the time to do so. It might help you from getting offended at what I'm about to share with you, ABOUT you.

 

The #1 REASON that we have to "start over" so many times is because we refuse to swallow our pride and admit that, usually, it is due to our own mistakes. Now listen, that doesn't mean that we are bad people or inadequate people. It simply means that we are human and that we make mistakes.

 

HOWEVER, the problem comes when we fail to admit to that fact and we keep making the same mistake over and over and over again. Go back and read my comparison to some inventor not learning from their past mistakes. As silly as that example sounds (yeah, I really do mean you need to go back and read that if you haven't already) it is just as silly - and yes, foolish - for us to keep making the same mistakes as well.

 

And, finally (as far as the recap), I also told you that you may be surprised at how accurately I am able to pin-point some of these mistakes that we do not want to confess to, due to our pride.

 

So, in no particular order, here are some of those mistakes that we must correct if we ever plan to actually make progress in our journey toward our goals and dreams:

  

   1. WE DON'T LISTEN! Another way to say that is that we fail to follow instructions. No matter what it is that you are trying to accomplish, someone else has "been there, done that" and often has information available for you to follow, based on their experience. I'm not sure what it is about most of us that causes us to stick our chests out in pride and say, "I don't need any help! I can do this myself and likely, better than anyone else!"

Hit home yet? You may have a particular person that got you into a particular home-based business and they offer you guidance and direction that you refuse to follow. WHY? Chances are that this person even asked you - up front, in the beginning - if you were one that could, and would, follow instructions and that was also open to such direction. And, you happily and quickly said, "YES!"

Really? As much as it hurts, take a good long look and see where you have decided to "blaze your own trail" instead of seeking out available guidance and direction.

 

   2. WE TALK MORE THAN DO! You like to talk about how dedicated you are to this effort and,  if you have a "mentor" or "coach",  you probably like telling them that as well. Yet, if you are willing to get really honest with yourself, you actually TALK more than you actually DO. Maybe you're not as excited about this as you thought that you were and, honestly, you really need to see if that is true. Why? Because if this is something that you are NOT really interested in, then you need to identify that problem quickly instead of acting like you ARE interested. If you're NOT interested enough to really do what it takes to have some success then you will NOT do what is necessary for said success. Make sense?

But, maybe you just aren't as motivated a person as you want to think that you are! Ouch! Yeah, that one hurts, but it may be true. How much time do you actually spend with this effort. I didn't ask how much time do you THINK you spend...I asked how much time do you ACTUALLY spend.

What's the difference? You tell me. You WILL be able to tell me if you track your time or keep record of your time. You may be surprised to find out that you spend a lot less time with this than you think that you do.

 

   3. WE LIKE TO PLAY "DRESS UP".  This is very closely related to #2. You like to "talk" a lot about what you are doing (or THINK that you are doing) but, you actually don't really DO that much in reality. It's "fun" when people ask you what you do and you say, "I'm an entrepreneur!" when, in reality, you are a "wannabe". Ouch, again!

You have the business cards, you have a space set up for your office, you have a "schedule" set, in which you tell those around you to NOT bother you during certain times while you are in "your office" and, yet, in reality, you actually do very little if anything at all. You spend most of your time moving things around on your desk, reading e-mails, and PLANNING what you are going to do.

It's fun to play "dress up" but "playing" is not the same as "achieving".

 

Oh, I'm sure there are some more that we could talk about here. Why not share YOUR thoughts and "confessions" with me below OR, better yet, on the Future You University "fan page" on Facebook? I'd really love to see and read your feedback there.

So, starting over is not a sign that you are defeated. However, making the same mistakes over and over again and not learning from those mistakes and not doing things differently IS a sign that you are a bit hard-headed and stubborn. And, if that's the way you want to be, it's up to you. But friend, let's get honest here and come to an agreement that, if this is your mindset, you will spend the rest of your life "starting over" or even finally, actually QUITTING.

You say, "NEVER!". Then change what you are doing by learning from what you have done and see what happens. Remember, "Change Nothing - Nothing Changes!".

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

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

Mike

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

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Debt and financial problems are OTHER areas that many of us find ourselves having to "start over" again and again. Just like discussed in the article above, many times - MOST of the time - it is due to our OWN mistakes that we keep on repeating! Isn't it time to learn how to correct that? Check out this program by Dani Johnson and see what this could do for YOUR financial situation. 

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

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

                                         Start your home based business HERE

Major Setback?

I've never played the game of "Chess" and, honestly, I've never had a desire to do so. I have, however, played "checkers" many times (yes, I do know that they are not anywhere near the same) and have never gotten very good at that game.

 

I do know this about checkers: those that win and win often know how to think several moves ahead and, from what I understand about the game of chess, the same is true there as well.

 

I also know this about checkers: What you do NEXT is vitally important!

 

Friend, this is true in so many areas of our life whether it be games, relationships, education or work related. But it is especially true IF you've experienced a MAJOR setback.

 

My goodness, as I typed that last sentence it occurred to me that ANY major setback in ANY area of life sets up the importance of your next move.

 

Wise choices in the midst of adversity. That's much easier said than done.

 

Even though it is true that planning ahead for such situations and plotting out what your next move might be IF such a thing were to happen is a wise thing to do,  it still does not mean that you will actually follow through with your preplanned thoughts, and here's why: No matter how much you plan, you simply can NOT plan it out as if it were actually happening.

 

What does that mean?

 

You cannot make plans like this and include the EMOTIONS that will go along with that event if and when it happens.

 

Many times the best laid plans get sidetracked by our emotions. You see, when we make plans we are thinking RATIONALLY but when we include emotions and if those emotions take "center stage" then we begin to think IRRATIONALLY.

 

So, in ANY area, what you do next is of utmost importance.

 

Mistakes happen BUT that does not mean that your next move need be another mistake!

 

Final bit of advice: In ANY area of major setback, we must allow ourselves the chance to step back for a moment, catch our breath and think. Friend, that may not happen within the next hour or even day.

 

This is when it comes in handy for you to have planned out ahead of time. Because NOW when you are thinking irrationally due to your overwhelming emotions, you can sit down and read things through that were planned when you had a clearer head. What you wrote down before may not seem possible to you while you are still high on emotion but give it a little time and allow the "pre-planned rational mind" to have time to take root.

 

Then boldly move on knowing that you are not acting in haste or by emotion.

 

It's a big step. It's a necessary step and it's a step that you CAN make boldly if you've taken the time to plan.

 

Do it and, as you do so, be sure to ...

 

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

 

Mike

 

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

                                         Start your home based business HERE

Don't Slash Your Own Tires

Read that graphic up there and then read it again.

 

Did it make any more sense the second time than it did the first time that you read it? In other words, did the idea of slashing your remaining three tires because one was flat make any more sense than it did the first time you read it?

 

I would hope not!

 

Isn't it rather amazing how we can easily see the folly in this example but we just can't seem to make the leap to applying that to our journey toward our goals and dreams?

 

But it's there and you know it's true.

 

You know that is foolish to give up on your goals due to one setback.

 

You've seen it before I'm sure but it has often been said that a SETBACK is simply the preparation for a COME BACK. (Or something like that).

 

Know this: there WILL be setbacks and there won't be just one.

 

But you DO have the power and the ability to get back up and continue on no matter how many times you face a setback or a roadblock.

 

Now smile and realize how silly you've been if you've allowed these setbacks to keep you back.

 

And, finally, always remember that strength comes from resistance!

 

So, get up and get going and always be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike

 

 

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

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A Map of My Journey (so far)

Wow, it just hit me as I was looking at the title of this post.

 

Have YOU ever thought about looking back over your life and imagining what it would look like as a map of where all you've been from a particular "starting point"?

 

Perhaps from your birth or whenever it was that you had goals and ambitions that you wanted to achieve. I don't know, maybe when you graduated High School or college and you had particular and maybe even specific ideas of what you were going to accomplish in your life.

 

Now, this is NOT an exercise in looking back in regret but simply an exercise in taking a look at the journey that we have been on.

 

Most of us probably envisioned this journey as one that was pretty much a straight line from point A to point B.

 

But, looking back, how straight is the path that has been taken so far?

 

That should make you smile!

 

Now, think of this: You're still here, friend. AND, you're still plugging along, right?

 

And, as you consider all of this, you discover that all of these "side-treks" that you have taken and all of the roadblocks all play a part in making you who you are today.

 

Take a few minutes (it's about 12 or 13 minutes which is about twice as long as usual) to listen to the podcast on iTunes or the RSS feed that goes along with this article to hear me talk about my journey along the way.

 

Yeah, I could type it all in here but, to me, there is just something "more" about hearing someone talk about their experiences.

 

What I talk about is not only jobs that I have had that were not what I had planned to be doing, but also all of the different "opportunities" or "home based business" ideas that I have tried with various levels of success over the past 25 or so years.

 

Just take a look at this: water purifiers, some kind of fiber cookies, buying "knick knack" items at wholesale and selling them for retail at flea markets, etc., some sort of electric gadget for business to use to save them money on their electric bill, business ads on maps,

opening a store selling badges and buttons that had cute little sayings and/or pictures on them, working at two different car dealerships, working as a sales rep at a chemical cleaner company, working at a lumber yard supply company as well as a grocery store, selling vacuum cleaners door to door  and a paper route.

 

Yeah. And all of that was in one town over the course of about five or six years.

 

I'm not going to type the rest of it here but let me tell you, this was just one place that I lived and tried different things and there are about six others. Listen to the podcast...LISTEN TO THE PODCAST so you can hear all of the rest.

 

Why am I sharing all of this? Because I want you to understand that I have "been there, done that"....literally.

 

But I have never given up and I will NEVER give up!

 

Oh, I've been close. There have been some very dark and depressing times through all of that but, friend, I'm still moving forward.

 

I've gotten more focused over time and more determined and, now, I feel that I have finally connected with the right company to take me - finally - where I plan to be.

 

Side note: You can find the website on this in the last blog post that I put up. Not trying to sell you anything or persuade you to do anything. I'm simply sharing information that may be just what you - or someone you know - are looking for.

 

I feel like it's similar to the lyrics in the chorus from a song I've many times over my lifetime:

I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

 

 

 And I'm still going and going and going like that big rabbit on the television commercials.

 

Stay focused and committed to where you want to go and do NOT allow anyone or anything to stop you!

 

And, yeah, I do think I have a right and the ability to say that to you.

 

I hope you agree and I hope this has encouraged you to keep going.... regardless.

 

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

 

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

 

Mike

 

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

Sometimes You Have to Just "Go With the Flow"

GIVE UP OR KEEP MOVING FORWARD?

It's now always easy to keep pushing forward when it seems that the "ROADBLOCK DEMONS" are determined to keep you from moving in a forward direction.

I've talked about it many times in the past and - not for the first time - I am experiencing it as I continue to plan to actually present my first seminar.


Is it frustrating? OH YEAH!


But, I also know that I can either GIVE UP or continue to MOVE FORWARD with my plans - even if it does take some major reorganizing!


As always, the choice is MINE and it is up ME to decide what it is that I will do with these temporary roadblocks and setbacks.


Me? I choose to keep pushing forward!


And I encourage YOU to do the same in YOUR LIFE in whatever area of your life that it is with which you are attempting to move FORWARD into a better and brighter future.


Here's to your continued effort and coming success in your endeavors. And, as always...


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



Mike