Where Is Your Focus?

Focus. Probably one of the most talked about topics in the area of personal development, growth and achievement.

You want to talk about GOALS? The topic of FOCUS will be discussed along the way!

I would say that it is much easier to LOSE focus than it is to discipline yourself to GAIN and MAINTAIN focus...at least in the beginning. 

When we have yet to train and discipline ourselves in the area of focus, it is quite easy to get distracted and lose our focus.  That's a pretty easy concept to grasp, isn't it? 

Any time you are not disciplined in ANY area, it is easy to allow your lack of discipline to side track your success. 

Can you say, "diet"? Many people SAY that they want to lose weight and be in better shape yet there are not many that are willing to DISCIPLINE themselves in a way that will get them where they want to be. 

This is true in ANY area that requires CHANGE. Changing something that you do (or think) and attempting to do it differently - in a new direction - is NOT an easy task and it requires DISCIPLINE and FOCUS!

Now listen, you can - and I encourage you to - take this article and apply it in MANY different areas of your own life. Take it and run with it. Dissect it. Question it for yourself. Allow it to challenge you in different areas of your life that you seek change and/or improvement. I'm not here to tell you that this "topic" has to go in the direction that I thought about for this blog article. I suggest that you take it as a topic and apply it to yourself FOR yourself.

That's one reason I always encourage you to also listen to the podcast on the same topic. The thoughts that I had when I recorded the podcast are likely (absolutely true on this one!) DIFFERENT than my thoughts as I type this article. I think that makes my work unique.

A couple of final thoughts and questions for you to consider:

     - WHOSE focus are you using? In other words, are you focusing through your OWN thoughts/eyes OR are you basing what you are trying to "see" on what someone else tells you?

       -  Are you focusing only on the familiar?

      -  When your focus becomes "clear" will you discipline (and trust) yourself to pursue what that which you see?

      -  Can you? (YES!)

      - WILL you? 

Have fun with this. Yes, be sure to listen to the podcast (link below) and have fun with this but be ready to "see" something that may even scare you a little once your focus becomes clear. The next step will be up to you.

In the meantime, 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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As You Get Older

I don't remember how long ago I wrote the following words for today's blog article...I wish I had included the date at the bottom of the writing. But, I did not.

I would GUESS that it was five or six years ago which would put it around 2013 or 2014 and, I may be off on that as well.

In my own life, much has changed over those past five or six years and, if I live long enough to experience another five or six years, much more will change as well.

I hope you enjoy reading this but, more importantly, I pray that you will TAKE NOTICE of what is said and allow it to make an impact on your life now and "as you get older".

(You may need to click on the image to enlarge it if you can't read it as is)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please share them with me on my Facebook page (link found below). 

And, as you go through each passing day, always be sure to...

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

Mike

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Do NOT Give Up!

Let me mention, right off the start, that you can find the podcast that goes along with this very same topic by clicking on the podcast link at the end of this article. I don't follow a script when I do the podcast and the blog article so, even though the topic is the same and there are some similarities, there is different material to be found in each.

Chances are, at some point in your life - at least once - you have felt like giving up. And, if we were to be completely honest, most of us would have to admit that we likely actually HAVE given up on something in our lifetime.

But we don't like to admit it. Why? Because it makes us feel like a failure!

However, keep this important fact in mind: One usually must experience failure (and, sometimes, lots of it!) in order to finally experience success. 

When I first put together my first podcast back on March 2, 2009, I came up with a little saying that I use with every podcast still today: "As long as there is breath, there is hope!" I have also discussed that thought in several podcasts and blog articles since that time.

But it is still such an important fact to keep in mind! No matter how large the problem(s) may seem or how "dark" your world may seem, as long as you are alive and breathing, THERE IS HOPE for something to change!

I get it. Sometimes it is VERY difficult to "see" any type of hope or change when things are really difficult.  But, friend, it IS possible!

I've used the following example many times in the past and I use it in the podcast that goes along with this article. It will take a lot bigger space, a lot more time and, yes, even the cost of a lot more fuel to turn around a large tanker in the ocean than it does a small jet ski, but it IS possible to turn that thing around!

Time. Effort. Dedication. Space. 

THESE are the things that we give up on too soon, my friend.  

 Thankfully, I had the opportunity to hear the late, great, Jim Rohn speak before his passing and this is one of my favorite quotes that I actually heard him say at such an occasion: "The major key to your better future is you."

We MUST begin to understand this important fact! YOU are what makes the difference! Stop telling yourself that you are a FAILURE and start telling yourself that YOU ARE THE SOLUTION! 

Whatever you do, DO NOT GIVE UP!  

GET UP - however many times it takes - and KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Be sure to listen to the podcast and hear me talk about being 10 years behind on some of my goals. Have I ever thought about giving up? YES! Have I done so? To some extent, at times...YES! But, do I continue to push forward anyway? YES! YES! YES!

And I encourage you, friend, to do the same. Don't you EVER give up!

And, please also keep this in mind until our next time together...
 

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

Mike

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The Old Barn and Miss Jeannine

The barn that you see in the picture above is one that I had planned to stop and take a picture of for a long time. I literally would pass by this old barn every day on my way to work and, many times, on my way back from work, depending upon which route I would take.

It actually became a running joke with my wife when we would pass by the barn - on days that I wasn't on my way to work - and I would say, "One of these days I'm going to stop and take a picture of that old barn!". The reason it became a running joke is because I said that for about a year and a half.

And then, one day I finally did it! I finally pulled over on my way to work one morning and took a couple of pictures of this old barn. I love pictures of old barns and other buildings like this and I finally did it! THEN my next plan was to take a picture of it for each of the four seasons. As you can likely tell from the picture, this one was taken this past Spring.

About a month or so I passed by and noticed what you see in the picture below. That's right, the old barn had collapsed and, shortly after, was completely removed to where you could not even tell that the barn had ever been there at all.

I'm so glad that I did finally pull over and take that picture that I had talked about for so long because, little did I know at the time, I would not have many more chances to do so before it's collapse. 

Now for Miss Jeannine. I didn't post a picture of her but she has been a dear friend to my wife and I for about the past twelve years. We first met her when we moved to a new town back in late 2005 and got to know her very well over the course of the 5+ years that we lived in that town. Even after we moved from there we stayed in touch and even got to see her from time to time even after she moved from there as well.

She spent the last year or so in a nursing home and we would stop by and see her whenever we had the chance to do so and I would even stop by when I was by myself and on my way somewhere related to my work.

The last few times we got to visit with Miss Jeannine were a bit disconcerting to us because she was starting to struggle with maintaining a good mind and, once, when I stopped to see her by myself, I spent a bit of time helping to calm her down because she didn't know where she was and who all the people were that were there. They were the other residents of the nursing home.

My wife and I saw her towards the end of this past March...about four months ago and have talked about how we NEEDED to go see Miss Jeannine again. But, for whatever reason, "things" came up and we just never got it done.

Last week I received word that she had been placed in the hospital with pneumonia and, then, the day after that they were going to be placing her in hospice. My wife and I were trying to arrange our schedule to where we could go see her and hoped that she would be able to know that we were there. We received word that they actually had placed her in hospice on Monday and we finally figured out that we would go see her on the following Friday.

On Tuesday I received word that she had passed.

There were no longer any more chances to go visit with our dear friend. Ever.

We attended her funeral this past Saturday and we both talked about how much we wished we had gotten the chance to see her "one more time".

The old barn is one example and Miss Jeannine is another but, friend, there are situations and examples like that around you each and every day.

We tend to get complacent and we tend to take things for granted but I want to encourage you to make a sincere effort to "wake up" from that complacency and to take action TODAY and EVERY DAY!

Stop putting off whatever it is that you keep saying that you need to do and just do it.
Stop saying you need to call or go visit someone and just do it.

Stop forgetting to tell someone that you love them and how much they mean to you and just do it.

Stop talking about "one of these days" and do it TODAY while you still have the chance.

If you don't you will likely regret it and if you do, you will be glad that you did.

With that in mind, 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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It's Not Rocket Science - CHANGE Requires CHANGE!

What you read in the graphic above is about as simple as it gets. Yet, at the same time, it is one of the most difficult things that most people have to accept. 

Actually, I guess they DON'T have to accept what is stated above but, at the same time, their refusal to accept what is said means that they have accepted a different, sad fact. "I choose to remain where I am and settle for less than what may be possible for my life and the lives of my loved ones."

That, my friend, is what is called a HARSH TRUTH. And far too many people settle for that harsh truth - a DECISION that they have made themselves, FOR themselves - while whining and complaining about why things don't change for them. 

Ironic, isn't it?

 Jimmy Dean said, "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."

Yes, there are things that you and I CANNOT change but we CAN change or control how we react to those things in our lives.

Pay close attention to what William Pollard is quoted as saying: "Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable."

Did you notice the last word in his quote? INEVITABLE! Change is a fact of life! Those individuals or companies that refuse to prepare for that inevitable change will lose in life and in business. How many video stores do you see around? Remember "Blockbuster Video"? That's just one example and, the older you are, the more examples you can come up with as far as companies that have gone out of business due to change.

Around where I live one can go through one small town after another and see what once was a thriving center of town around the courtyard square or even what was just referred to as "downtown".  And now? Empty storefronts. There may be a few that have thrift stores in them now but, by far, change has caused these stores to close their doors for good.

Sad? To some extent, yes. But, again, change is a fact of life both for individuals and for business as well.

Let's direct this to you...personally. Whether you want to admit it or not, YOU have had to change more than you likely realize. I'm not going to take the time to try to cover those changes here but I do encourage you to stop and think about what things have changed around you since you were a child. You may be surprised.

The bottom line is this: What are YOU doing to prepare for the changes that are yet to come? The great thing is the fact that you possess the power to change - IN ADVANCE - to prepare for your future and to also prepare for the future of your family and loved ones.

I will leave you with this great quote from Harriet Tubman: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_pollard_163245?src=t_change

Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_pollard_163245?src=t_change

Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/william_pollard_163245?src=t_change

With that in mind, 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