You Gotta' Have FAITH!

 "Remember WHO You Are" (YouTube video) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knkrXr-swbI

You may want to take a look at that video link above because this ONE video has given me the material for this and the remaining two episodes/articles in this new, 3-part "Mini-Series".

I also want to encourage you to go HERE to listen to the podcast that goes along with this same topic. Same topic, additional/different information than you get by only reading this blog post. 

As I start this new 3-part "Mini-Series" with thoughts that I gathered after watching the above mentioned video a few months ago, I want to share with you the first thought that caused me to pause the video and write it down...

We want faith to take place but we don't want to operate IN faith (WOW!)

Now, as you read over that sentence you may think, "Uh, Mike...what's the difference in the two?"

My answer: "BIG difference!" 

I'll start off by making a very simple comparison that may help us all to "get" this part. How many start off each new year with their "New Year's Resolution" with the #1 thing being, "I want to (or I'm going to) lose weight!" And, likely, they become very adamant about doing so with every passing year that they don't accomplish this "goal". TALKING ABOUT or PLANNING to do something is far different than actually DOING that thing, right?

So it is with the idea of WANTING faith in your life or SAYING that you WANT to "live in/by faith" as compared to actually living (operating) IN faith as stated above.

Here's my simple "explanation" (not really a definition) of FAITH:  Trusting or believing in something that you cannot see. 

What??? Are you CRAZY? 

Think about it...if you can see it or know that it is there then there is no faith required, right?

Here's another simple (and silly) example that may help. Let's say you are on one side of a ravine and your friend is on the OTHER side of that ravine and that the depth of that ravine is 1,000 feet. In other words, step off of your side of the ravine and you will die when you plummet 1,000 feet.  

You WANT to get to the other side to be with your friend but, there's that gap between you and your friend. You say, "I wish there was a way for me to get from here to where you are!!" to which your friend replies, "There is!" Excitedly you exclaim, "Just tell me how or what to do and I'll do it....hurry up and tell me!!!"

Your friend says, "I know you can't see it but there is an invisible bridge over the ravine that connects the two sides and all you have to do is walk across."

What would you do?

A LARGE part of what you would do depends on how much you actually TRUST your friend, right? And, even then, it would still be very difficult to step out onto something that you cannot see to walk across. EVERYTHING in your body and mind would be screaming "DON'T DO IT!" as a way to try to protect you from what would seem to be certain death.

Sure, you still might be scared even if you COULD see  that bridge but it would not take FAITH that it is there in order to be able to take that first step. 

Living IN faith or BY faith is a lot like that. First of all, it DEMANDS trust and it also has SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE even thought you cannot really "see" the answer. 

Yep, I'm going to bring in some scripture from the Bible because God's Word is the foundation for my life. It is my anchor and it is what gives me a solid foundation on which to walk in and through this life. 

So, right off, there is TRUST involved and that TRUST is based on what you do or don't believe about God and His Son, Jesus.  It's your choice but, as I share these thoughts with you, understand that this TRUST that I'm talking about will determine if you do or don't live in or by faith. It's just like the trust you either do or don't have your friend in the example above.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for. It's not just "wishful thinking" or a "false hope". This faith has substance and that substance is supported by your TRUST and your BELIEF. I'll tie all of this together in a minute but let's go to the next part first.

Faith actually has EVIDENCE of things not seen! It's not a "blind faith" but one that has substance and evidence! 

You cannot SEE the wind but you can see EVIDENCE of the wind, right? 

So, living IN or BY faith has substance based on your TRUST in the one that you follow or listen to, just like your friend in the above example. Honestly, if you don't believe in God or trust God then you will not and cannot have FAITH in God. It is impossible. As a matter of fact, just go a few verses further down to verse 6 and you will find this: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him..."

The evidence is there. The substance is there. You may have this evidence based on things that have happened in your own life. You may have evidence based on things that you have seen or have been told about things in the lives of others. 

No?

Well, just keep reading in Hebrews 11 and you will read of person after person after person that lived BY faith or IN faith and what happened in their lives. This chapter is often called "The Hall of Fame of Faith" because of these things.  

So, getting down to the nuts and bolts of all of this, TALK IS CHEAP. Whether you are talking about what you want/plan to do as part of your "New Year's Resolution" or stepping out and living IN or BY faith. 

The choice is yours but it WILL require TRUST in order to take ACTION. 

Join me next time as I continue on with some thoughts from this video. We will go from talking about FAITH to actually DOING SOMETHING TODAY (taking ACTION). 

Until next time, remember...

YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, whatever you do, always be sure to...

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

Mike

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Seeing With NEW Eyes - The TRANSFORMATION (Part 6)

 

We are nearing the end of this series - I promise! The next article will actually be the conclusion to this series and I hope that you have benefited from the blog articles as well as the podcasts that I have published on the same topics. 

So, as always, if you've not read (and/or listened) to the previous 5 articles/podcasts in this series, please be sure and do that BEFORE you move forward. This whole series has been about me sharing events that have taken place - chronologically - over the past several months. That being true, it's important to read/listen to these events in order. 

I talk about this on the podcasts that I do but, for whatever reason, I have failed to do so with these articles. What am I talking about? The fact that you are reading this FOR A REASON, my friend! I don't know who you are, where you are from are even WHEN it is that you may be reading this blog article. I'm typing these words on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 but, who knows, you may be reading this 25 years after I put this article together. Either way, the fact remains the same...I believe that this is NOT a "coincidence" that you are reading this article. I also believe that God has brought you to this article and that there is something in this article that you NEED to read. Hey, that's really what this whole series has been about...the fact that I do not believe that anything happens by coincidence, including you reading this article. 

Alright, let's move forward with our discussion on this topic. Again, go back and read the previous articles because I now pick up where I left off in the last article I shared with you.

I mentioned my introduction to a man by the name of Paul Bocco back in December of 2020. His program was in the real estate niche but, the main attraction for me was that it was formed and guided by spiritual principles. Now listen, I've come across many so-called "Christian business entrepreneurs" before that turned out to be nothing but a gimmick to try to attract Christians and take their money. NOT SO WITH PAUL BOCCO! I came to the conclusion very quickly that he was, indeed, "the real deal" when it came to him actually believing what he said and "taught" in his materials.

What a blessing he was to me at that time! I credit him - along with God's timing - for helping me really get focused on truly surrendering to God and following God with the idea of removing myself more from the "headship" of this relationship. Along with the spiritual emphasis, I also greatly benefited from the organizational instructions in his program. HUGE plus for me! I finally began to take control of my days instead of my days taking control of me...BIG difference and  BIG advantage in every area of my life. 

However, after 7 months in the program I did not feel that the "business side" of the program was really working out for me in the way that I needed and I had to make a difficult decision about the program. To be honest, I was already into this program by several thousands of dollars and I did not easily walk away from such an investment. Yet, I was at complete peace because I felt that the spiritual guidance that I received was exactly what I needed in order to move forward toward success in all areas of my life.

 In discussing this struggle with my wife, I mentioned to her that if I only had a way to PINPOINT people that were in TOUGH SITUATIONS with their homes (as we had once been in our past) that it would make the process a lot easier by being able to actually find such people. A couple of days after that, on a Saturday night (8.14.21) - and by late, I mean almost into Sunday morning, so around 12:45 p.m. or so - I came across a webinar on my computer that talked about being involved in the real estate market so I began to watch it. Little did I know that this sucker was going to last for an hour and forty-five minutes!

But, guess what? From what I could tell, this program did EXACTLY what I said I needed, "if I could only find". COINCIDENCE? As I took a couple of days to "debate" (there really wasn't much of a debate but it was more due to my "head spinning" by this happening) I had to ask myself the following question:  "WOULD I NOT BE FOOLISH TO IGNORE THIS SPECIFIC ANSWER TO MY SEARCH?" Again, COINCIDENCE? As Bill Engvall says: "Here's your sign!"

Now then, get this...I'm not done with this particular event and it was not done with me! Two days after watching that webinar and "debating" about whether or not I should sign up for this program, I opened up an email and had more information from this company and it's creator, Ross Hamilton,  and it had free downloads to some material that was available. With interest I downloaded one that was labeled "Create your custom 12 month plan to 10X your income while improving your health and overall happiness." I grinned as I saw that (P141, Oola and Travis Peters all had a 12 month plan) and when I opened it up - hang on to your seats - I was "blown away" when I saw the areas they "focus" on for this "plan". Look at the comparison below and see how closely all four of these programs are connected (Connected Investors is the name of the company that had the webinar that I mentioned):

I literally - I really did - laughed OUT LOUD - when I read this. "Oh my goodness, God...thank you for showing me this!"  Again, "HERE'S YOUR SIGN!" What decision do you think I made about this program after these things? You got it...I signed up!

Listen, I share even more on the podcast (part 5) that goes along with this article. GO LISTEN! I could write and write and write about these things because they keep coming on a DAILY basis - I kid you not!

In closing for this article, I again ask you the question, "If you have been asking for guidance and direction, have you allowed that guidance and direction to pass right in front of you unnoticed?" Have you allowed "opportunity" to walk by right in front of your house because you were waiting to have it knock on your door? After all, "opportunity knocks", right? NOT ALWAYS!

You don't have to agree with me about God's part in all of this. That's fine but it does not change what I believe and it does not change my dedication to sharing my belief that God is moving in a MIGHTY and POWERFUL way in the life of my wife and I. As the old saying goes, "Try it, you might like it!"

I'll share a few more final thoughts on these things in the next article and, again, it will be the conclusion of this series. It is exciting for me to know that this is not done! I honestly have no idea where God is taking me or leading me but I DO know that I am willingly following Him wherever that may be and I thank you for coming along this journey with me. 

So, friend, until next time, remember, YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, whatever you do, always 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

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Mike's Quotes #43: Live the TRUTH of Your Dreams!

truth troo͞th 

n. Conformity to fact or actuality.

n. Reality; actuality.

 For the purpose of this article, I want to draw attention to the second definition given above: "reality; actuality"

Yet, in my quote, I talk about living the TRUTH of your DREAMS. Dreams? Dreams aren't real, right? And, if that is so, how can I  connect something that is "not real" to the very definition of the word "truth" when the words "reality" and "actuality" are used?

For me I believe that you must ask yourself what YOU mean by the word, "dreams".  

Are your dreams something that resides in the fantasy world? I mean, do your dreams involve you jumping over marshmallow rainbows while riding on the back of a unicorn? That would definitely fit into the category of "fantasy", would it not? 

But, at the same time, if your "dreams" consist of things that are so far out of your realm of possibility that you don't actually take any action to bring these dreams to "reality" and "actuality" then, friend, they also remain in the category of "fantasy". 

Make sense?

Yet, if your "dreams" are an expectation and vision of what is yet to become reality then, friend, we are talking about something completely different! Even if your dreams stretch you and even push your limits of "is it possible?", they can still be something that you can envision as REALITY in your future. 

If your desire to turn that vision into reality is strong enough, you will not only simply DREAM of those things but you will TAKE ACTION to bring those dreams into reality and/or actuality in and for your life!

In the same way, great men and women in history brought their DREAMS into REALITY and that reality became so for not only them, but for you and me as well. THINK ABOUT THAT FACT!

And now you discover how one can begin to "live the TRUTH" of their dreams. You see or envision your dreams and you decide that it is something that you MUST achieve in and for your life. Then - and this part is HUGE - you begin to walk in or "go confidently in the direction of your dreams". You begin to TAKE ACTION by taking those steps and, as a result, you begin to "live the TRUTH of your dreams".

Here's another kicker - when you begin to do this, you find that you begin to "walk" and conduct yourself as if the dream has already become a reality. You begin to walk IN your belief and your dream and this will actually bring that dream into reality even quicker than you ever imagined.  

Be sure to listen to the podcast and watch the video on this topic - THIS IS KEY! You will hear some additional thoughts and you will hear me talk about this with passion. The links can be found below.

One other thing...if you believe this to be POWERFUL and BENEFICIAL, please take on the responsibility of SHARING this important message to anyone and everyone that you can. Help me help others begin to "live in the TRUTH of their dreams".

Be sure to join me for my next topic as we discuss what it is that you actually seek. Thanks in advance for all that you do to help spread this message and, 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

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

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Mike's Quotes #6: DECISIONS and CHOICES

"Every Decision is a CHOICE. Every CHOICE Makes a STATEMENT." (11/02/19) 

As you can tell by the date, this is one of my most recent quotes that I wanted to share with you. Believe it or not, as is often the case, I had not planned anything out nor had I sat down to brainstorm with the purpose of "coming up" with some new quotes.

Nope! Many times my quotes will come from an article I've written or just from a thought that comes to mind. Sometimes that thought is spurred by something that I see or hear like a sign or something that someone else says that makes me think. And then, like the quote above, they just come to me as a response during an conversational exchange with someone.

After I said this to the person that I was talking with I thought, "Wow! That was pretty good! I need to be sure to write that one down!" And, I did. 

Think about what is stated in this quote and, I do believe that you will agree with the statement and also be challenged by this quote. 

Too often we don't consider the impact of our choices and our decisions. As a matter of fact, we seldom put much thought into the fact that EVERY DECISION IS A CHOICE.  

Yes! Every single decision is a choice. 

Now, I'm not going to try to give an example of every single thing that I can think of to illustrate this fact, but I will try to share a few. YOU think further on this and apply this thought in your own life and see how many decisions that you make (or have made) that, indeed, indicated a choice that was to be made.  

Let's start at the beginning of your day and talk about setting your alarm. You have a decision to make - what time do you want to set your alarm - and, you have a choice as to what time you want that alarm to be set. As a matter of fact, you first have a decision (and choice) as to whether you even want to set that alarm in the first place!

Do you want to set the alarm at a time that will allow you plenty of time to get ready for work (or whatever it is you have planned for your day) and even sit and enjoy a cup of coffee without feeling rushed OR do you want to set that alarm in a way that will allow you "just enough" time to get things done so that you can hop in your car and rush off to work? 

It's a decision and that decision involves a choice and, friend, that choice - and EVERY choice - makes a STATEMENT! 

Think about this: Let's say that you have made a commitment (decision) to get up earlier and work out before you head out to the office. You have decided (another decision) that you need to get up 45 minutes earlier than usual in order to get this done and still get to work on time. 

Got it?

What you actually DECIDE to do indicates that you have made a CHOICE about how important that decision to work out really is to you, wouldn't you agree? WHAT YOU  HAVE CHOSEN TO DO makes a STATEMENT about your true commitment to working out. 

Got it? 

My goodness, as we approach the end of 2019 and as people get ready to dust off their continuously recycled "New Year's Resolutions" we will see a LOT of this taking place. 

WORDS are not decisions and they don't even truly indicate that a choice has been made. ACTION demonstrates a decision and a choice that has been made. What you actually DO makes a STATEMENT about what you truly believe and how important something truly is to you. 

Go back and look at last week's topic of "Price Vs. Value" and see if this does not apply...IT DOES! 

You see, if you say that you love your spouse or your children and that they are very important to you then, you show by your decisions and choices what you truly believe. Your ACTIONS will make a STATEMENT about what really is true. You can say whatever you want and try to justify it any way you want but, friend, the truth is the truth and EVERY DECISION involves a CHOICE and EVERY CHOICE makes a STATEMENT.

There is no way around that truth. 

Hey, be sure to listen to the podcast and to also watch the video on this topic. I know that I will be recording those separately, which means that there will be three "versions" of today's topic and I encourage you to access all three so that you can get the full scope of my thoughts on today's topic.

Thanks again for taking time to join me today and, 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

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

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Listen CAREFULLY! Opportunity IS Available!

Have you ever been driving and then "wake up" (though you never fell asleep) and realized that you had covered a lot more miles than you thought? 

Have you ever read something - over time - ten, twenty or even thirty times and, on the thirty-first read you discover something in the exact same words and sentences that you never noticed before?

In the same way, I noticed recently that I had listened to a commercial on television several times before I "noticed" or "heard" something for the first time...even though I had actually heard it several times before. Do you understand what I mean?

One day, while watching this commercial, a certain phrase "jumped out" at me almost as if the volume had been turned up on that one phrase so that I would notice. 

The commercial is for an on-line University and it features someone (President of this University? Professor at this University?) talking to what appears to be a graduating class. Among several things that this person says here is what finally got my attention:  "The world in which we live equally distributes talent but it doesn't equally distribute opportunity, and paths are not always the same."

Take a good look at that quote and see if you actually agree with what is being said.

For me, it's a resounding "NO!"

In my opinion, the only part of that statement that has any truth in it is the very last part: "...and paths are not always the same." 

Think on this: Do you really believe that TALENT is distributed equally?  No matter how hard you want to believe that to be true and no matter how often a parent may try to convince their children that this is true, IT IS NOT TRUE!

 TALENT is NOT distributed equally! This is pure common sense to know this and to see this everywhere you look. It is a FACT that some people are more talented than others! 

Think on this: If talent was equally distributed then every person that ever tried out for a sports team would end up as a professional athlete! Every person that THOUGHT they could sing would actually be able to become a professional singer as they also won every singing competition that ever existed!

How would you decide the winner in ANY competition if talent were equally distributed in our world? 

You could not and that statement is an absolute fallacy. 

As is the phrase that follows: "...but it doesn't equally distribute opportunity.."

Honestly, what a HORRIBLE and even DAMAGING message to say to anyone!

Think on this:  OPPORTUNITY IS distributed equally in our world. Oh, there may be draw backs and road blocks. It may be hidden behind those drawbacks and road blocks but, friend, OPPORTUNITY is equally available to EVERY one and ANY one!

How hopeless the message that is shared that says that opportunity is NOT available to you, regardless of who you are or what circumstances in which you find yourself. 

Listen to me, friend and HEAR THE TRUTH! Though you may not be as talented as others you can still hold your head up with the knowledge and understanding that, indeed, OPPORTUNITY is equally available to you!

What do you read in that graphic? "Opportunity Is Nowhere" or "Opportunity Is Now Here"?

Do NOT listen to anyone that would tell you that opportunity is nowhere to be found. RID YOURSELF of that type of thinking and, honestly, those that would promote such. Because friend, the fact is that OPPORTUNITY IS NOW HERE each and every day!

That fact being true (and it is!) allows you to do the following...

"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

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The Importance of Asking "Why?"

In my last blog article, I discussed the thought of asking "WHY?" in every area of our lives. If you haven't read it, be sure to go back and read it.

In this article I want to expand on that thought and discuss the IMPORTANCE of doing just that....ASKING "WHY?". Or, in other words, "Why Ask Why?"

Here's one main thing to keep in mind when asking this question: You must be HONEST and TRUTHFUL in your answer!

Hey, listen, no one else even needs to know or hear your answer - only YOU! So, why in the world would you want to lie to yourself? (I'm not sure what the answer is on that but, the fact is, many people lie to themselves every single day. DON'T be one of those people.).

If you are SERIOUS about moving forward in your life and making improvement in your life, then this MUST be followed...you MUST be honest with yourself and with your answers. There is NO other way.

That's one reason it is so important to ask, "Why?" - it brings you face to face with the truth. And, yes, sometimes it is a brutal truth. But face it anyway.

Then, and only then, can you HONESTLY move forward from where you truly are. You see, not being truthful in your answer makes your whole life a life based on a lie. I know that you are wise enough to know that there is NO "firm foundation" when anything is built on a lie or lies.

Secondly, asking "Why?" also forces you to "re-focus" your attention on your PURPOSE in what you are doing - REGARDLESS of what it is that you are doing.

You can apply this following thought any way that you choose, but I believe we are here (our PURPOSE IN LIFE) to bless the lives of others in some way.

That's right, no matter what it is that you do (big or small), you have the opportunity to be a blessing in the life of someone else - and you may not even ever know about it!

And, finally, asking "Why?" brings you to your "starting point" or your "life location".

For example, if you plan to use a GPS to help you get to another location, you must first know where you are. Luckily, even if you are not sure where you are, your GPS device will TELL you where you are. Then, and only then, can you get adequate directions on how to get where you want to be.

Hmmmm...get the point?

If you give a "false reading" by telling yourself a "lie" in your answer to "Why?", then you will not be able to progress in the right - or correct - direction. Be true in this endeavor - no matter how brutal or painful it may be to admit the truth - so that you can move confidently in the direction of CHANGE for the BETTER.

You likely already knew these things. But, isn't that the way life is many times? We KNOW the answer and we actually KNOW what we need to do but it helps to have someone remind us of what we already know.

I hope that I have done that for you today. If so, I'd love to hear from you by either sending me an e-mail or connecting with me on the fan page on Facebook. You can also leave a comment below.

Thanks for you time today and, remember: Whatever you do, always be sure to...

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

Mike

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The Time is NOW! (Part 3 - Conclusion)

Before we get started, if you haven't done so, be sure to go back and red the 1st two installments of this series as well as listening to them via the podcast (see links below). I also want to encourage you to watch the videos that I recorded on this series as well. (You can find the videos HERE).

 

In this final article of the series I want to share with you THREE specific steps that you need to consider in order to "get back on track" and "re-ignite that spark" of your goals and dreams.  Again, I cannot stress enough the importance of being caught up on the 1st two segments of this series.

So, let's get to it! Here are my thoughts and suggestions on how you can "kick-start" that thing in your life and get moving again toward your goals and dreams. Here we go...

1. Re-evaluate, Re-discover and Re-examine your WHY 
     You may discover that the "why" that you once used as your "fuel" to get you going is not as important as it once was. It is also possible that you have lost sight of how important that "why" was - and still is - to you in and for your life. Either way, you need to spend some time and RE-EVALUATE that "why" and see how important it is to you now. You should also RE-DISCOVER your "why"...maybe you'll get the feeling back that you once had about it and it may spur you on to get moving again! Overall, you just need to RE-EXAMINE your "why" so that you can decide if it's even a worthy "why" for you at all.
     You may find that your "why" has changed or NEEDS to change! The bottom line on this point is that you need a STRONG REASON to move you past the inactivity that you have experienced.


2. Take a look at your "reasons" (excuses) as to why you have not progressed as you had planned. 
      I have mentioned before how it is easy to get "comfortable" with our excuses...we can find that it is easy to "soothe" the disappointment (and even disgust) at our lack of progress by using these excuses and calling them "reasons". Oh, we'll even share these with anyone and everyone that will listen - they need to know that it's not US...it's not OUR fault!
     Don't be fooled. Most "reasons" are excuses in disguise.
    While this process of calling excuses "reasons" may make us comfortable, it is important to remember that progress is NOT comfortable! If you're comfortable, you're not being BOLD enough or BRAVE  enough! If you're comfortable, you're not "stretching" and challenging yourself!
     Never forget that, in order to make REAL progress in your life, you MUST step outside of your "comfort zone". Will you?


3. WHAT NOW? 
     If you follow and implement these first two steps then you will come to the point of needing to make a decision. If you are honest and either "re-discover" your original "why" or find that you need a new, bigger and more important "why" and you have decided to stop making excuses once and for all, then YOU MUST MAKE A DECISION!
    You have a choice to make and the choice is YOURS..what will you do?
    Really be careful with those excuses...they have a way of talking yourself out of making the kind of BOLD MOVE that, many times, is absolutely necessary. Some such excuses may be that you don't have the training needed, the education needed or the money needed to move forward.
     Maybe you don't have everything that you need to reach your "ultimate" end goal but, friend, the key is to GET STARTED NOW where you are and with what you have.

 

These steps may seem too simple but, again, don't miss the fact that the PROFOUND can often be FOUND in the SIMPLE. Too, don't let the "simplicity" fool you. These three things are much harder to put into action than you may think.

The key question is this: HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?

Your answer to that question will let you know if, indeed, "THE TIME IS NOW!"

Let me hear from you - we're in this together and I'd love to get your feedback and your stories about this journey in your own life.

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

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

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Think About This

"...Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8b) NLT

 

In the last blog article we talked about the need to control our tongue. As part of that, I brought out the fact that, the only way to control our TONGUE was to control our THOUGHTS.

 

You control your thoughts by deciding what you ALLOW in your mind!

 

That's right...what YOU allow.

 

Now, I understand that sometimes things get in that we don't want to have in our mind but, for the most part, we can keep those kinds of thoughts out. Even if an unwanted thought sneaks in, we can OVERCOME and OVERWHELM that particular thought with positive thoughts and positive thinking.

 

YOU are in charge of what is in there (your mind). YOU!

 

Become "top-notch serious" about defending that space between your ears, friend, and see what happens.

 

Control your thoughts and you control your words. Control your words and you control your relationships. You control your relationships and you control your world.

 

I understand that some of you may be thinking that you cannot control all of your relationships. I'll give you that because it is a struggle to even know what relationships are actually good for you. So, yeah, I get that.

 

Too, don't take the word "control" and apply it in an incorrect way. I'm not talking about "making" people do what you want or be what you want.

 

I DO mean that you have the ability to - over time - have a positive influence over ALL of your relationships if you stick with it. Some will take longer and some won't take long at all.

 

What are you allowing in your mind? Look at the graphic and also notice the scripture beneath the graphic. They are both very similar in what they say. Now, be honest with yourself and do a quick check to see how many of those things listed you actually think about very often.

 

Replace the drama, the stress and the negativity with more thoughts of kindnes, being honorable and inspiring. Don't you wish everyone that you know would do that as well?

 

Let it start with you...let it start with you.

 

Think about it.

 

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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Lies KILL Relationships!

Lies destroy. Lies hurt. Lies kill.

 

Yeah, I am getting straight to the point and I'm hitting this one hard.

 

Believe the Bible or not, that is up to you, but here are a couple of things it has to say about lying: "the devil...is a liar and the father of it." (John 8:44) and, again, in reference to the devil, in John 10:10 it says, "...does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy...".

 

Again, believe it or not, but the main point I want to make with that is that LYING IS EVIL and is bent on DESTRUCTION.

 

It doesn't matter what level of relationship you want to consider, LIES KILL RELATIONSHIPS!

 

I really want you to encourage you to seriously consider this. No, I'm not going to get into this senseless discussion of "little white lies" and all of that other silliness that so many want to waste time with - LET'S GET REAL.


 

We ALL hate it when we feel that we have been taken advantage of by some salesperson due to them telling us a lie or lies in order to get us to buy some product. We will complain to anyone that will listen to how angry we are at this injustice.

 

And you should be.

 

But, think about this - that person doesn't even know you. No matter how much they want to try to convince you that they have your best interest at heart, they don't know you and they don't have much of a relationship to you or with you. YES, it is still wrong for them to lie to you and to be deceitful. BUT HELP ME OUT ON THIS - why then, do we treat those that we DO have close relationships with such abandon and lack of care by lying or accepting lies?

 

Lying shows a lack of HONOR and RESPECT for a person. There is NO honor or respect when there is the existence of lies.

 

We talked about the idea of being devalued by others. This is a prime example. PAY ATTENTION.

 

When you lie to another individual (and I don't really care if it's a customer or your best friend or your spouse) you DEVALUE that person and you also DISRESPECT that person!

 

When you allow others to lie to you and, even once you discover this habit, you allow that practice to continue, YOU are ALLOWING and ACCEPTING that persons DEVALUATION and DISRESPECT of you.

 

"For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth." - Bo Bennett

 

And, we've likely all heard this quote from Sir Walter Scott: "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

 

Relationships - at ANY level - matter.

 

Treat them that way and see what happens in your life and in the lives of those around you.

 

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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Shut Up and Talk

What?

About a year and a half ago I jokingly said that to a group of teenage guys I was working with. As soon as I said it, one of them said, "Wait. What? How can I shut up AND talk?"

I honestly hadn't even thought about what I said - it was just one of those things that came out of my mouth that was meant to be funny and confusing at the same time.  It worked.

But, when the young man asked me how he could do both, it hit me. I had actually said something pretty powerful while joking around.

This goes back to the same idea I shared recently about "walking the walk" and not just "talking the talk".

Sometimes we actually "talk" more clearly when we finally just shut up!

Sometimes our words mean absolutely NOTHING!

Sometimes we just need to STOP TALKING!

And, yes, sometimes we need to SHUT UP AND TALK!

I could go on and on about this but, you know what? I think I'll just "shut up and talk".


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

Mike

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Your Actions May Betray You

So, what do you say?

 

Yeah, maybe a trick question. You see, there are two ways to look at that question:

          1. What do you say with your words?

          2. What do you say with your actions?

 

Bottom line: it doesn't matter what you say with your words...they are just words. It's what you DO that matters, right?

 

Of course that's right.

 

Similar to the graphic at the top of this article is the saying, "You can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?".

 

You need to be careful because your ACTIONS may betray your words.

 

Let me give you a real-life example that I experienced last week:

          I was talking to a guy on the phone the other day doing a "pre-screening interview" based on some information he had filled out on line about looking for a work-from-home opportunity. He was currently unemployed and told me that, on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 obviously being high) he was DEFINITELY A "10"! After I told him what I needed to tell him, I asked him how soon he could take a look at the information I had directed him to. Now, realize that this was on a Friday and, remember, he was unemployed which means he had nothing to do. His answer, "Uh...the weekend might be hard so, uh....probably like Tuesday or something."

          His ACTIONS (or lack thereof) were betraying his words (I'm a "10"!).

 

This guy certainly was not a "10" or he would have been checking out the information right away.

 

What about you?

 

Again, you have to be careful! Be careful about what you SAY around others about your plans and dreams. Remember, they are LISTENING! And, they will be asking how you are doing with what you said you were going to do.

 

Hey, it's hard enough as it is without having to face that, friend.

 

But, also, be careful with yourself. Don't say that you are willing to do whatever it takes if you aren't willing to do whatever it takes. Literally.

 

You know what I'm talking about. Get honest with yourself and realize that your actions may not be matching up with your words. And, yes, your actions will betray what you say.

 

Fix it.

 

And then let your ACTIONS speak louder than your words in a POWERFUL and POSITIVE way!

 

Pretty cool, right?

 

Absolutely.

 

Until next time, be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike

 

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"RELATIONSHIPS: Family"

"RELATIONSHIPS: Family"

This entry marks the last in this discussion of "relationships" and I appreciate you for taking the time to read and/or listen to these. (Yes, you can access the podcast of all of my topics by going to http://www.michaelspillman.com/ ).

We have gone through a wide range of relationships from those that we come into contact with on a "semi-regular" basis such as a waiter or waitress, check out clerk or a parking attendant to name a few. We have also looked at the relationships that we have with our coworkers, our boss and different levels of our friends.

Now we look at what may be the most difficult level of relationships that we all deal with in our lives - our FAMILY.

Now, before I go any further let me say this - for some of you, you may feel that the relationship that you have with your CLOSET FRIEND like we discussed in the last article is one that is closer than anyone in your family. And, this may be true. After all, there are times that you share things with a close friend that you are afraid to bring up to someone in your family at the time. Perhaps you run it by the friend first to see what advice they may give you. This - among others - is one reason it is SO important to pick those close friends carefully! If you are going to ask and perhaps follow their advice then you need to make sure that the advice they give is actually GOOD advice.

I know from my own experiences growing up - as likely many of you can agree - that I got along better with my friends than I did my own brothers and sisters. One reason is that I didn't LIVE with my friends! Spending the amount of time with ANYONE that you spend with your immediate family might create problems.

By the way, this is one of the main attractions in an affair. That person that you are "attracted" to is one that, likely, is always "at their best" for you. You don't see them with baby food splattered on their dress and they don't see YOU with your "slobber trail" on your face first thing in the morning. It's easy to be attracted to what you don't see and/or deal with on a daily basis. That's one reason we say in MOST of our wedding vows something along the line of, "for better or worse, in sickness and in health".

Hey listen, family is not always what it should be.

Why? Because, again, they are human just as you and I are. Tough break, huh?

I know for those of you that are doing everything you can to develop and maintain a positive attitude that, sometimes, some members of our family actually act as a "roadblock" in this effort. I probably see this brought up in every discussion when someone decides to step out and try to improve their situation.

Hey, it doesn't even have to be when someone tries to get involved in some sort of "opportunity"! I've even heard from some that get criticized just because they seek out and read as much positive information (like this) as possible.

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

Honestly, I think it's the same deal with family as it is with anyone else. Anytime you try to better yourself you tend to force those around you (including family) to put the spot light on their own lives and their own decisions in this area. And, most don't like what they find. So, instead of putting the effort into improving their own lives, they find it easier to try to destroy YOUR efforts instead.

It would be nice if family reacted better than that but, many times, they just don't. So, what do you do about that?

When it comes to others in our lives it is likely easier to distance ourselves from those that try to derail our efforts than it is to do so with family. ESPECIALLY if you are living in the same house with them. You can try to talk to/with them and simply ask them how reading and absorbing positive information is something that is going to anything for you (and them!) but help.

Many people struggle with this with their own spouse. Ouch!

I honestly cannot tell you what to do in your situation but I would suggest first and foremost that you simply try to get them "on board" with you. Sometimes it is easier to let them SEE the change and difference in your life than it is to try to TELL them the benefits. Don't criticize them and tell them that THEY need to start getting into this stuff because by doing so you are indicating to them that they are not where they need to be. Sure, it may be true but to make them feel that way is going to do nothing but lead you to an argument.

In ALL of this - and I am talking specifically about your relationship with your spouse - TRUTH and HONESTY is the most important ingredient that you MUST have in this relationship.

Just like the relationship with your close friends that we discussed in the last article, it is AN ABSOLUTE MUST when you start talking about your spouse.

I have read in discussion groups of some talking about the fact that they bought into some sort of program behind their spouse's back and that, when they see them "coming around", they were going to tell them. DISASTER IN THE WORKS!!

TRUTH.

HONESTY.

I could write PAGES on this part but I won't (for now). As I said on the podcast version of this topic, if you don't have this in your relationship, you have nothing.

When you lie to your spouse you are DESTROYING that relationship. Oh please, stop trying to use that "white lie" or "for their own good" crap.

Picture it this way: Your relationship is a beautifully sculptured rock with much time and effort having been put into it to create this masterpiece. Every time you lie or are dishonest in any way is like you taking a chisel and chipping away at that masterpiece. Sure, the first few "chippings" may not seem to have any effect but, over time, each and every stroke contributes to it's total destruction.

Too many of us wonder what happened when it seemingly crumbles before us "out of the clear blue". It didn't happen overnight or "out of the clear blue". Don't ever forget that.

I'd love to hear from you on anything that I have shared with you on this series. Please feel free to share with me any thoughts and ideas on this - I'd love to hear from you.

Bottom line in ALL of your relationships - TRUTH and HONESTY will always bring about the BEST in any and all of your relationships.

TRUTH + HONESTY = TRUST.

Until next time...

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

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

Live a Life of Truth

Live a Life of Truth

Truth.

One definition found at dictionary.com for the word TRUTH is "conformity with fact or reality".

That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? What we SAY or DO - if it's based on TRUTH - will conform with FACT or REALITY.

IF it's based on truth - don't miss that point!

All week long I have been discussing our tendency to live a life of lies in many areas and, particularly, in the area of our own progress or lack of it toward our goals and dreams.

We do it to make ourselves feel better yet, in the end, we actually feel worse. We not only make ZERO progress, we actually take several steps back when we live this life of deception.

So now - as always - it is totally up to YOU as to whether you want to keep living that way OR change and live a life of TRUTH.

Yes, sometimes the truth does hurt! But again, how has living a life of lies and following the path of least resistance worked out for you so far?

Unless you've gotten so far away from truth that you've become callous to it - the more you've lived a life of lies the more the truth hurts when you are exposed to it and challenged by it!

There's no where to hide when you remove the excuses, is there? It's basically you standing there naked before the TRUTH about you and your efforts.

But now think about it this way... this can be very exciting and one of those "life moments" that can change the course of your own personal history!

IF you decide to act upon it.

Once you begin to live a life of truth - even when it hurts and even when you'd rather take the easy way out and lie to yourself - the easier you will find it is to live this life of truth!

You will become disciplined and better prepared for this journey toward your goals and dreams.

Hey, have you ever began a workout in order to get in shape? Was it easy at first? Was it fun at first? Did you quit right off?

Many do quit too soon because of the very fact that it's not easy or fun. So, they give up and continue to live the unhealthy life that they have lived for so long and THOUGHT they wanted to get away from. Until they found out that it wasn't going to be easy!

But then there are those that fight through the pain and the sweat and the unpleasantness of getting your body to do what it is unaccustomed to doing - MOVING! Those that stick it out begin to see results and begin to find that the longer they do this exercise routine the easier it becomes. And, yes, torture becomes more of a challenge and even fun along the way.

Why? Because you're body (and mind) has begun to adapt and make the changes that come with the discipline practiced to fight through the first and most difficult part of the program.

So it is with living a life of truth.

You can give up and quit because it's not easy or you can tough it out and DISCIPLINE yourself to stick to your decision to make positive changes in your life.

And, yes, you CAN do it!

And I'm here to help you any way I can. Just remember that deception and denial will lead to nothing but disaster and that TRUTH can actually set you free!

Think about it and then begin to live a life of truth!

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

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

Mike

Life Without Lies

Life Without Lies

Deception is such a waste of time. It doesn't matter what area you might be talking about - deception or lying never proves to be a positive move. EVER!

Just think of all of the times we have all watched people (many times politicians) try to hide things in their lives only to be found out. And, usually, it cost them their dignity, their families and their jobs.

For what reason?

The same is true with the tendency to lie to ourselves as we have been discussing in the last two entries. What good does it do? What has it done for you so far?

HOW HAS THAT WORKED OUT FOR YOU?

Not so good, huh?

Instead of feeling better about yourself (which was the reason for the lie in the first place) you now actually feel worse than you could ever have imagined.

When you wake up to drink from the cup of HONESTY you find that you have done nothing but hurt yourself - and maybe others - in the process.

How so?

You have hurt yourself in that, not only have you not made progress but you have actually taken several steps backwards. You may have hurt others IF your desire of your goals was to improve the life of not only you, but your family. How has this helped them now?

Have I been too rough on you this week? Hey friend, if were were honest with ourselves and were disciplined enough to kick our own butts from time then you wouldn't need to have it done by someone else.

Agreed?

So, here's the deal - WHAT NOW?

It is totally up to you. The next step depends 100% on you!

It always has and it always will.

I will tell you this, though. Breaking away from a life of deception is not easy! You will likely need some help from someone that you trust and that CAN and WILL help hold you to some accountability. And, even at that, you can easily tell them to go take a hike when they call you on your deceptions.

But, you CAN do it and, if you really desire it, you WILL do it.

We'll talk more about that process in tomorrow's entry.

Until then...

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

Mike

Lies Prevent Progress

Lies Prevent Progress

We began the weeks' thoughts yesterday by talking about the tendency we have to lie to ourselves about all kinds of things.

Sometimes we do so in order to make others think a certain way about us and, many times, we do so in order to try to make us feel better about ourselves.

Here's the bottom line TRUTH of the matter: As long as you continue to lie to yourself about your progress (or lack of it), you will NEVER make progress!

We can convince ourselves that we really are doing all we can when, in TRUTH, we know that we really aren't! We can line up a whole list of "reasons" (cover up for EXCUSES) as to why we "can't" do this or that when, in TRUTH we know that it just isn't so.

So - how's that working for you?

I ended the podcast for this topic by observing that we usually lie to ourselves to try to make us feel better when, in reality - IF we are really serious about making progress - we feel anything BUT better about ourselves when we do this.

Are you sick of it yet?

Until you DO get sick of the lies you will continue to wallow around in the lies and stay right where you are - in that mud pit.

It's up to you!

Tomorrow we'll continue this discussion a little further --- please be thinking and getting REAL with yourself in this area!

And, as you do so...yes, you CAN still...

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

Mike