The RICHEST Place in the World

If you haven't done so, be sure and go back to the last article that I posted entitled, "Live Full and Die Empty". It goes "hand in hand" with this article and the thoughts included in this article. 

After you have read it (maybe you need to "refresh" even if you have already read it), then look at this very somber - but TRUE - statement made below... 

""The richest place in the world is the graveyard.
You know why?
Because in the graveyard, you will find...
Inventions never invented
Books never written
Ideas never nurtured - And dreams never lived."

"Remember Your Dream" by "Motivational Instinct" CLICK HERE to watch on youtube 

Like I said with the last article, I don't want to die with regrets. I don't want to die with things left undone that I had opportunity to GET done.

Now then, chances are, if I have goals and dreams that I am constantly and consistently working towards then there WILL be some things left "undone" but, my friend (and this is a very important point!) I will have left this earth MOVING TOWARDS something MORE in and for my life! That, in my opinion, would qualify as "dying EMPTY" with NO REGRETS!

For ALL of us...for you and for me...the ONLY way that we can accomplish this is by doing all we can TODAY! 

In the Bible, the writer of the book of Hebrews (or the letter that he wrote to the church there) needed to help the Christians there "stay together" and help each other remain strong in their faith. In Hebrews 3:13 he emphasizes this by saying, "but exhort (encourage) one another daily, while it is called “Today...”

Notice he said to do it DAILY but - don't put it off - do it while it is still called "TODAY".  

Listen friend, I'll say it again: The ONLY way that we can accomplish living our lives fully and leaving no regrets is by doing all we can TODAY!

One way that helps tremendously (the writer of Hebrews refers to it as well later on in chapter 10 in verses 24 and 25) is based on those that make up our "circle". 

We'll talk about that part of the picture in the next article.

Until then, 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

YouTube   

Live FULL and Die EMPTY

Oops!

You've likely seen the above picture before. GOOD IDEA with POOR EXECUTION! Can you imagine how the person that got this tattoo felt once they realized the mistake that was made with a PERMANENT tattoo? 

Now listen, I could do a whole article on the thoughts of making sure you don't mix "poor execution" with a "good idea" but that's not what this particular article is about.

Don't take this too literal with the tattoo example above, o.k.? But, here's the thing about living live with NO REGRETS (what the tattoo was SUPPOSED to have spelled out)... sometimes YOU SCREW UP or someone else does something that screws things up for you!

 The following is not an exact quote but it's something that I see from time to time on a commercial trying to get people to take action and buy this particular product. Whether I like the product or not has nothing to do with the TRUTH that is found in this part of the ad:

Don't Regret What You Didn't Do
YESTERDAY
Take Action and Feel Great About Saying
YES TODAY

Don't live your life in regret. That's something that most of us probably have said or believe yet, for whatever reason, most - if not all - of us do, indeed, have many regrets.

As I write this article, I'm 62 years old (closer to 63) and, as I look back over my life, I regret the opportunities that crossed my path that I didn't "jump on" for whatever reason. 

What are YOUR reasons?  

I really encourage you to go back and listen to the "People of Passion" podcasts that I've put out so far. You can read my last article for the links to each of these first three. EACH of these ladies talk about some sort of hesitation in making a move in their life based on their PASSION. Each discuss things that could have held them back and that COULD hold them back even now.

Is it FEAR? "What if I screw things up?" "What if my (friends, family, spouse, etc) think I'm crazy for doing this and what if they continually tell me I shouldn't do it?" 

Here's another one that is based on FEAR but in a way that most of us won't admit: "What if it DOES work well and I don't know what to do or how to do it? What if I screw it up then?"

What is it for you?

Again, I do believe that you must have "good execution" to some extent but, at the same time, you could also end up continually trying to make sure that you have that "good execution" covered in every possible way to the point that you never take action. It's called "paralysis by analysis". 

Very simple example that you can take and apply to your own situation. You may decide you want to try to bungee jumping and get so excited that you go and jump off of a cliff...without making proper preparations of actually HAVING A BUNGEE CORD attached to your body. Yeah, that won't work.

You could also decide that you like the idea of sky diving and, just like the example above, jump out of an airplane only to realize (too late!) that you should have made sure you actually had a parachute!

There is a delicate balance between "good execution" (preparation) and boldly taking a step out in the direction of your goals and dreams.

 

  "LIVE FULL AND DIE EMPTY" is a phrase that is often attributed to Les Brown but I've seen many others say it and even at least one other person write a book by the same title. It doesn't really matter WHO said it but, rather, what matters is whether or not you are able to step up and out and live the idea.

Hey listen, I've made a LOT of mistakes in my life and, to be honest, many of them have been financially costly. HOWEVER, I do my best to NOT allow regret to be a part of those moves. Why? Because I stepped out and took a chance.

Do I wish that these mistakes had turned out for the better? Of course I do! But they didn't and I survived. And, most of the time (if not ALL of the time), I learned some valuable lessons in the process. I'm not just saying that...it is a fact, friend. 

I'm going to be doing a couple of more articles/podcasts that tie into to this concept but, until then, I want to leave you with one other POWERFUL thought to keep in mind on all of this:

"You can face everything and RISE or you can fear everything and FALL."

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

YouTube   

People of Passion Series (1 - 3)

I recently began a new podcast series entitled, "People of Passion" and, as of this article, I've had 3 special guests for this series.

In this article I will simply be directing you to the podcasts that I have put together for this series to this point and I do hope you will take the time to listen in. Unless you know these people personally, you likely have never heard of them and that's exactly what I wanted.

These are "real", every day people that have impressed me with what they are doing in their lives to make an impact in their world.

You can GO HERE to listen to the "Series Introduction". This will give you more information about the purpose of this series.

 

My first guest for this series is Kim Tatum. She discusses her desire to "do something more" once she came to the point of retirement. Do YOU often feel that you are being "called" to do more than just sit by the wayside? GO HERE for this interview.

 

 My second guest for this series was BJ White. What interesting things she shared with me during this interview! Be sure to listen in with a very entertaining story about her and the number 7. Be inspired by her decision to walk away from her career to follow her dream. Listen in by CLICKING HERE. 

My third guest for this special series was Jean Peterson. This interview was so much fun and also very inspiring. Listen in by CLICKING HERE and be inspired as well.

I do still have a couple of people lined up that are working with me around their schedule and I hope to have them available in the month of September. One is a single mom that is involved in foster care in a very "real" way and the other is a gentleman that has experienced MASSIVE success in the online business world. You won't want to miss either of these!

I plan to do some other podcasts before I get a chance to have these last two interviews so be sure to be watching out for those.

Until then 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

YouTube   

 

Are YOU in CONTROL Without a "Plan B"?

At the end of my last article I asked the question (or similar): "What CONTROL do you have over your current situation/job?"

Sure, consider the obvious things such as being told when you can or cannot go to the restroom or take your lunch break. Depending on the schedule, do you even GET a lunch break? Wow, how about trying to schedule your vacation only to be told that you can't because of some "reason" that those "in charge" decide that they want to do first?

Are you able to participate in your child's school activities? Even if it's just trying to get off a little early to do so? How many days can you take off to take care of a child that is sick and has to stay home from school? 

But let's go a little deeper on this thought...

What control do you have over actually KEEPING your job?

Yes, I understand that there is a LOT that you can do to make sure that you not only keep your job but get promoted with your job. A lot of people want to do the minimum and expect the maximum in benefits by doing so. It just doesn't work that way.

I'm referring more to situations like what I discussed in the last article and podcast about my own personal recent situation. 

The bottom line - the TRUTH - is that you DON'T have control when it comes to the actions of those above you that could greatly impact your ability to keep your job. You DON'T have control over whether or not your company decides to shut down and move the company to a foreign country. You DON'T (and DIDN'T) have control over the government forcing your company to completely shut down which put you and everyone else out of work. For how long? Again, out of your control. 

So, yes...you DO have some control over your own actions and abilities. Your habits and your work ethic. But, beyond that...how much control do you actually have?

The only real way to GET 

(and maintain) control is 

to TAKE control!

This may surprise you but, in this article, I have no solutions for you on this problem. I have no suggestions for you. 

Why? I honestly have yet to find something that has worked for me. Now, I know others that have done GREAT things with a "Plan B" and, yes, have also developed a "Plan C, D, E, F", etc.  I'm working on some things right now and...if they work out for me, I'll let you know. 

Here's the thing: There is PLENTY of information out there about "side gigs" and putting together a "Plan B". Again, COVID really brought the need for such to the fore-front. 

BOTTOM LINE: Don't wait to begin your search when you are under pressure to MAKE something happen! That generally will cause you to make poor decisions and it will also remove your ability to be patient with the process.

I do have something planned that might be of assistance to you in this area. I am currently working on a series entitled, "People of Passion" in which I will be interviewing a few people that I have connected with either personally or via online sources that have exhibited a sense of happiness and passion in their lives. Some of these are also involved in some "Plan B/Side Gig" opportunities and some are not. Be watching for that!

I'll leave you with this: "If you are not in control of (fill in the blank), chances are, someone else is."

Until then 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

YouTube   

 

A "Plan B" IS Necessary - My Personal Story

 In the last blog article I discussed the question, "Do you NEED a 'Plan B'?" Again, "Plan B" referring to having a "back up" plan or source of income in case your "Plan A" (main plan or source of income) falls through.

You will have to decide that for yourself but, in my opinion, the answer is a great big "YES!".

In this article as well as in the podcast I've done on this topic (see links below) I will discuss my personal, most recent, story about my last "job" and how that situation has, once again, emphasized to me and for me the ABSOLUTE NECESSITY to have a "Plan B" in place and, more than likely, even a "Plan C, D, E, F and G" , if not more.

 

Some of the time frame on this may not be completely correct but, I'll do my best to be as accurate as possible. The main focus of sharing this with you is to help you understand what could happen to you - IF it hasn't happened to you already.  

Back in November of 2021 I answered an ad that I had come across for a job that, to be honest, seemed too good to be true. It was for a job to where I only worked two days a week and had the ability to make $100,000 + my very first year. It was for the position of being a sales consultant (official title was "Clinic Consultant") to close on a $5,000 product offering. 

I applied but, to be honest, I didn't expect much and definitely didn't expect it to actually be a legitimate job opportunity. However, I DID start noticing commercials on my local television channels for this particular company and for the office from which I would be working. That increased my "faith" that this may, indeed, be an incredible opportunity.

Long story short, I was interviewed by a couple of managers, hired and went to a 4 day training at which I caught COVID which delayed my start by about a week. 

I finally started my work the first week in January of 2022 and, after a nervous and slow start for the first couple of weeks, I began to "hit my stride" and began to have some INCREDIBLE results for the two days that I was working for the week. WOW! I was excited and thankful for such an opportunity.

I had already told my wife that I KNEW that I needed to get a "Plan B" in place because this was a job that relied on me being physically present to do the job and it was all commission. In other words, if I didn't work, I didn't make money or even have the opportunity to make money.

In March I noticed that things began to change. Instead of "screening" being done in such a way that the majority of the people I met with being able to actually pay for the product, I was seeing more and more people that were on fixed incomes that had no way to be able to do so.  This greatly was impacting my commission checks and, from what I could tell, it was affecting everyone in the company that held the same position that I did in different offices. 

Even though my commissions took a big hit - probably cut in about half - I was still able to maintain a reasonable amount of income with promises of "it would get better". I was beginning to feel uncomfortable due to the "rah rah" talk that I was hearing that would be similar to someone on a sinking ship stating that "all is well". 

Fast forward to the end of April and everyone in the company that held the same position had their "days to work" cut in half. In other words, I went from 2 days a week (8 days a month) to 2 days every 2 weeks (4 days a month). Again, "Oh, it's going to get better!"

For various reasons, my clientele dropped by about 80% and my commission dropped by about 90%. I knew this was a sinking ship and it was confirmed when, on one of my "off" days, I dropped by the office and found someone there that was about to go to training to take my spot.

I had never had any problems, never been "written up" and had produced well. My managers were not even aware of this move and I discovered that this was happening to others as well.

So, I was out just like that with no "Plan B" in place.

None.

So now I've been scrambling to try to get something going that would enable me to make some good income and also allow me to still work on developing a "Plan B, C, D, E" and so on.

You tell me...after reading that story, would you agree that it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to get a "Plan B" in place?

COVID-19 should have made that very clear to EVERYONE. If you don't know what I'm talking about due to when you read this article, do a little research but, businesses were shut down and not allowed to operate, people were sent home with no way to make an income and MANY of these businesses went OUT of business after being in business for decades.

What if you get sick or hurt and you can't work? What if your spouse or a parent or a child becomes ill or injured to the point that they need YOUR care and attention that would prevent you from working a "regular" 9 to 5 job?

I will continue this discussion in the next article but, until then, ask yourself this question: "How much CONTROL do I actually have over my current situation/job?" 

Be watching for it and, until then 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

YouTube