Celebrate People!

What if everyone was just like you?

 

Oh, for some, at first thought they would say, "That's the way it SHOULD be! If everyone were like me then the world would be a better place!"

 

Then, after the laughter of everyone around them began to die down they would likely come to their senses and realize how boring our world would be if that were to happen.

 

The differences in people is what makes life interesting!

 

Think about how wonderful these differences really are: the way people dress; the way people talk (both accents and completely different languages); the naturally different colors of people's hair; the UNnatural different colors of people's hair; the different ways that people express happiness and joy as well as sorrow and all of the other emotions and on and on we could go.

 

What things would YOU add to the list that you appreciate about the way people are different?

 

Now, let me be upfront and honest here for a moment. I, personally, am not talking about celebrating people that are VULGAR in the way that they talk and even dress, specifically in public. Vulgarity is a CHOICE as well as someone that goes into a public store (uh, like Wal-Mart!) with half of everything that should be "hidden" hanging out all over the place. Dressing inappropriately is a choice as well.  I hope that makes sense and doesn't seem contradictory.

 

Let me give you a few examples that have caught my attention within the last couple of weeks and even over the past few years.

 

Just the other day I walked into Wal-Mart and the first thing that caught my eye was a gentleman (probably in his 60's) wearing a dingy "white" t-shirt, BRIGHT yellow shorts  (down to his knees), suspenders and big ol' boots with the tips of his white socks showing out of the top. My first reaction? Honestly? I GOT A BIG OL' GRIN ON MY FACE and thought, "Now, that's just awesome!"

 

Really, I did. He had, what I assume was his grandson with him, and the two of them were having an enjoyable time at Wal-Mart. The little boy had a big smile on his face the whole time. Now then, would I wear that to Wal-Mart? Uh, I WANT to say that I wouldn't but, at the same time, with my grandkids, there is no limit to what I may do to put a smile on their face (before they get to the age that they get embarrassed too easily).

 

Another situation was when I was at the Dani Johnson event in San Antonio and I was parking my car in a paid parking lot to walk to the event location. I had parked there the day before (on a Sunday) and had paid $7 for all day up until 7:00 p.m. This was a Monday and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the cost was only $5 for parking!

 

As I pulled in and prepared to pay the little old lady that was there with a man that I assumed to be her husband, she asked me if I would be back by 6:00 p.m. I told her "no" because I knew the event was scheduled to go until that time. She informed me that I would need to pay $10 then because the ticket was only good until 6:00 p.m.

 

Now, you can go back and read the last article and listen to the last podcast to see that sometimes I have a problem being impatient with situations such as this. I wish I could tell you that I was pleasant when she told me that but, I really wasn't. I wasn't "nasty" but I snipped, "well, I'll just make sure that I'll be back by 6:00. That's ridiculous! It was good until 7:00 yesterday!" To which the lady told me that was because it was the weekend.

 

Her husband began talking to her in Spanish and, even thought I didn't understand what he said, I'm sure it was something about me and the way I was behaving. As I put my window up and preceded to park I thought, "Mike, what in the world are you doing? Why are you behaving this way? That's NOT how you should treat people and that is NOT how you need to begin this day or theirs!" So, when I got out of my car I asked them what I needed to do to make sure I was not going to get towed after 6:00 and I got the ticket that I needed and put in on the dashboard of my car.

 

As I got to this couple on my way out of the lot I stopped and began to talk to them. I said something expressing my hope that they did not have to sit out in the sun all day long and, immediately, big smiles can upon both of their faces! They assured me that they could go inside the little shack on the lot that had an air conditioner. I asked them how long they had been doing this work and they told me that they had been doing this for 45 years! He then excitedly started asking me to guess his wife's age (I'm terrible with that and wouldn't touch that with a 10-ft. pole anyway!) and told me she was in her mid-70's as was he. I talked to them for a couple of more minutes and the three of us parted with smiles on our faces and happy hearts.

 

What a difference from where I allowed it to begin just a few short minutes before.

 

CELEBRATE PEOPLE!

 

One last example and then I'll let you absorb and allow this to "simmer" in the "pot" of your mind...

 

A few years ago my wife and I were out on my motorcycle on the way to some event when we stopped at a gas station to refuel and to stretch a little. When I walked in I noticed a "biker" with a long pony-tail and patches all over his vest. I saw his wife as well and didn't even glance at her because I knew that, with some bikers - the "hard core" kind - that act, alone, could get you into some serious trouble.

 

As luck would have it, I ended up right behind him in line to check out. I wasn't going to look at him or attempt to speak to him when he turned around (after completing his transaction) and asked me how I was doing. Stunned, I stammered, "I'm fine and you?". His answer? "I'M BLESSED, THANK YOU."

 

It was if my eyes were opened and I noticed that all of the patches on his vest were "religious" patches and that he actually had a very kind face.

 

Wow, Mike, you blew that one BIG TIME!

 

I had judged this man on how he looked and the fact that he rode a motorcycle (uh, I was on one, too). What a lesson I RE-learned that day.

 

CELEBRATE PEOPLE!

 

When you find that your first reaction is to condemn, criticize and judge, TAKE ANOTHER LOOK and see if you can't SMILE and be thankful that we are not all the same.

 

Think about those in your life that are close to you (family and friends) and smile as you think about how different each one is and what differences make them so special in your life.

 

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR MAKING EACH ONE OF US AS DIFFERENT AS EACH SNOWFLAKE IS FROM ANOTHER!

 

Enjoy your day 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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Celebrate the Small Things!

What do YOU celebrate and WHEN do you decide to have that celebration?

 

My guess is that too many of us wait until we have actually reached our goals and dreams (or we at least PLAN to once that happens!) before we celebrate success.

 

However, you will find that most - if not all - experts in the area of goals will tell you that you need to celebrate the small achievements along the way.

 

That's right - celebrate the small things!

 

If you wait, you can very easily become discouraged because it may seem as if you will NEVER reach that goal. Remember, it likely will take you longer than your first anticipated.

 

My wife and I actually wrote down our goals and dreams a few months back and also wrote down "celebration points" along the way. In other words, we wrote down smaller achievements that we decided would be cause for celebration.

 

For example, we wrote down that once we reached a certain amount of income in one day that we would celebrate by going out to eat at a special restaurant (we didn't blow the budget on this). Then, we set another goal along the same lines - once we reached another certain amount of income in one day then we would celebrate with a little larger type of celebration.

 

Get the point? Maybe not.

 

Do NOT celebrate to the extent (or the amount of the cost) that you actually set yourself back - this is VERY important!

 

But, DO set those "celebration points" along the way. Just by doing something with this specific reason behind it will help you realize that you ARE making progress toward your goals and dreams.

 

Oh, and while I'm at it, let me suggest another celebration point for all of us that we can, and should, celebrate = YOU ARE ALIVE!

 

That's right. "As long as there's breath, there's hope!". I came up with that years ago and it speaks such positive truth!

 

You are alive! Celebrate the fact that you - yes, YOU - have the ability to make such powerful and positive moves in your life today due to that fact.

 

Why not do this: simply make a list of all that is cause for celebration in your life, starting off with the fact that you are alive today?

 

We have more cause for celebration than we realize.

 

So, go ahead, make that list and then CELEBRATE!

 

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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Thankful Celebration!

Thankful Celebration!

That's right, we're still celebrating here - celebrating another day of livin' and another day of life!

And, on this "Thankful Thursday" I want to connect that celebration to the fact that each one of us has SO much for which to be thankful!

No, I don't want to hear your "yeah, but" lines ("Yeah, but, what about this or that..."). I know life is harder for some than for others BUT you still have some things in your life for which to be thankful!

Number one being - YOU ARE ALIVE! And, that being so, today is MAGICAL, WIDE OPEN and you have the opportunity to TURN YOUR DAY AROUND!

"As long as there is breath there is hope!"

I talked to my friend with cancer last night. He just recently found out that he had cancer and he was really quite worried about it and - like many - already had a "worse case scenario" played out in his head.

He's losing his hair and has lost about 20 pounds due to the fact that his appetite has really been messed up due to the chemotherapy treatments and, on top of that, he has diabetes which is really also going nuts with all of this going on!

But, guess what? When I was talking to him last night he had a smile on his face from ear to ear! I wasn't able to have an "in depth" conversation with him to dig deeper but one thing he said was something along the lines of, "You know, along with the bad there is some good!" - HELLO?

I mentioned to him that his attitude seemed to be better NOW than it was when he first found out that he had cancer and he replied, "Well, I don't even feel like I have cancer most of the time. And, besides, what are you going to do?" In other words, he was indicating that he had MADE A CHOICE of how he was going to allow his disease to have an impact on his life.

I love it when I have the chance to talk to people like this - what a great, powerful and positive example for the rest of us!

Now, does he ALWAYS have that attitude? He'd be the first to tell you that he doesn't, especially on those days when the chemotherapy takes a toll on his body. BUT, my guess is that his attitude is positive more than it is negative.

Here's the kicker... this guy tends to be one of the most negative people I know. That's right! There have been times in the past when I have had to dismiss myself from being around him just because of the negative poison that was continually spewing from his mouth.

Amazing, isn't it?

Perhaps - and this is only MY thought on this - the cancer has caused this friend to really notice what matters and what doesn't and to be THANKFUL for another day of life.

What about you? What about me?

Days come and days go. Time moves on regardless of your circumstances. It's the same for each of us - for ALL of us.

What we do with that time is a CHOICE.

Why not incorporate THANKFUL CELEBRATION into your day - starting right now - TODAY?

And, as you do so - this WILL become a part of your life...

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

Mike

Keep on Celebrating!

Keep on Celebrating!

How is your celebration going today?

Are you allowing the negative things that surround you each and every day to get you down? Are you allowing it to sway you toward "stinkin' thinkin' "?

Remember, it's a CHOICE!

And, yes, I do realize it's easier said than done. But, honestly, isn't anything worthwhile easier said than done?

And yes, let's just get real here - sometimes no matter how hard we try, regardless of how much "good stuff" we fill our minds with, LIFE GETS US DOWN.

But, I'm simply here to try to encourage you to GET UP and not GIVE UP when that happens in your life!

Notice these words from the song, "Don't let it get you down...don't let it turn you around..."

Again, what we ALLOW these things to do in our lives (and TO our lives) is the main thing!

DON'T let it turn you around and send you in the opposite direction of your goals and dreams! Don't allow these things to persuade you to give up on your goals and dreams and head back to where you were before. DON'T DO IT!

And, then the last verse of this awesome song:

Well, I can't be bothered with sorrow - And I can't be bothered with hate, no, no
I'm using up the time but feeling fine, every day

YES, there are some very real emotions (sorrow) that can take the wind out of our sails...but, again, even allow those times to celebrate life! If you are mourning the loss of someone close to you - celebrate the memory of THEIR life and then allow the fact that you can share those memories with others and help that persons memory live on cause YOU to celebrate YOUR life!

Sometimes we call it "sorrow" though when we become discouraged and disappointed. We feel sad when, in reality, it may very well be such strong discouragement that we become depressed. Please understand that I'm not making light of this - I've been there! - but I still want to encourage you to NOT ALLOW THIS TO TAKE ROOT IN YOUR LIFE!

There is too much to enjoy and celebrate in this life to have time to allow the negative influences to take root and control our lives in this way! Whether it be sorrow, hate, discouragement, anger....the list can go on and on! And, the thing is - LIFE GOES ON!

I'm going to talk more about this tomorrow but the point is made here - we are "using up the time" one way or the other! Time comes and time goes. "Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday".

A day will come and go in the life of those focusing on the positive things of life as well as those that allow the negative things of life to take root and rule theirs.

By choosing to celebrate ANYWAY we can continue "feeling fine, every day"!

So, come on - get on up and KEEP ON CELEBRATING!

And, as you do so...

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

Mike

I Just Want to Celebrate!

I Just Want to Celebrate!

So, what's the occasion? What are you celebrating? Birthday? Anniversary? Job promotion?

Here's the deal - why do we have to wait for those "special occasions" in order for us to celebrate? TODAY is - can be and should be - a day of celebration. Just because!

"As long as there is breath there is hope!"

That quote that I came up with way back in March of 2009 speaks to that very fact. LIVING and BREATHING is reason enough to celebrate!

The Bible says it this way, "This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Why not get in the "celebration" mood and mode?

I hope that if you have been listening to the podcasts for this week that you have enjoyed the energy with the new song I have been using for the introduction and close. The song is, "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth and you can even find a video I posted on the Future You University fan page on Facebook one day in the past couple of weeks.

I love the energy of the song! I love the PASSION of the song! Hey, I just LOVE THE SONG!

But the words...the words...yes, I even find a powerful message to help us stay focused and positive in songs like this!

Here is the basic premise of the song as shown in the chorus:

I just want to celebrate another day of livin'
I just want to celebrate another day of life

Just think about the POWER of this mindset in these words alone! The CHOICE to CELEBRATE another day of living and another day of LIFE!

Hmmmm....I wonder how your day would go if you approached it with this thought in mind? I wonder how your day would go if even five other people that you come across during the course of your day approached it with this thought in mind. What if everyone in your office had this mindset?

Hey friend, why not kick things off by making sure that YOU approach the day with this mindset?

I put my faith in the people - But the people let me down
So I turned the other way - And I carry on, anyhow

I actually already know the answer to this next question without ever hearing your voice, but here goes: Have YOU ever been disappointed in anyone in your life?

Of course you have! Now, the most important question on this is this: What did you do about it?

What good did it do to "stew" and "fume" about it? What good did it do to rant and rave to those around you about it? What good did it do...period?

Instead of letting those types of emotions poison both your mind and, yes, even your body - why not do what this song suggests and simply turn the other way and carry on....regardless!

Again, it's a choice that we all have. You can choose to allow the disappointment and hurt to have a deeper and further impact by allowing it to claim your mind and body for any length of time OR you can choose to "shake it off" and move on.

A friend of mine shared an acrostic with me one day - F.I.D.O. - "Forget It, Drive On!"

One other verse I want to use in today's discussion:

Had my head on the dollar bill - But the dollar bill flew away
But the sun is shining down on me - And it's here to stay

Now, as I mentioned in the podcast, I really have no idea what it means to have your head on a dollar bill. At first I thought that maybe it was a misprint but, upon looking at several different sources on the lyrics, they all say the same thing. I thought maybe it was supposed to be, "had my HAND on the dollar bill" - but I guess not! PERHAPS it is implying that this person had achieved a certain level of importance that would cause some to want to put his image on money. I really don't know.

However, I DO know the point!

Money, fame, fortune - if you achieve it you need to also understand that it is fleeting! Here today, gone tomorrow!

Some people don't handle that too well, do they?

What about YOU?

It doesn't have to necessarily be fame and fortune - it could be a job, a relationship and a wide variety of other things that can be "taken away" in a moments notice.

And, again, what you DO in response to this is a choice - YOUR choice!

I love the simplicity of this message - WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS?

We can focus on the disappointments and we can focus on the "what went wrongs", the "what if's" and the "only if I's" if we choose.

OR we can shift our focus and realize that we have survived and we WILL survive and that the sun is still shining - yes even in the midst of all of the mess - and it IS here to stay! Regardless!

FOCUS!

So, what will YOU decide to do today? Just focus on TODAY, remember?

Even in the midst of life's ups and downs we can still CELEBRATE! (Hey, where's that "bootie shake" music?).

And as you do so - this will come easily if you are celebrating - be sure to always...

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

Mike

Independence Day!

Today is July 4th and, in the United States of America we celebrate this as Independence Day. Now listen, it doesn't matte WHERE you're from - I'm going to cover some points that ALL can relate to.

HOWEVER, I want to speak a moment to my fellow Americans.... as we remember and celebrate this special day.

1. Don't forget what it is we celebrate - Yes, there are cookouts and fireworks that are enjoyed by many, but don't forget what we REALLY celebrate today. This is the day we celebrate the BIRTH of our country and the bravery that those who signed that Declaration of Indepence exhibited by putting their names on the line. Not only that, but the countless number of men and women that have sacrificed fighting to maintain that freedom.

2. BE THANKFUL! Are you one that gripes and fusses about all of the things that aren't right in our country? Realize that there are those that died so that you can have that freedom! Oh, believe me but check it out for yourself - many countries would "shut you down" in a heartbeat for talking against your country. It still happens today. BE THANKFUL of where you live and the FREEDOMS that we enjoy.

3. DO SOMETHING to make our country better! Talk is cheap - DO SOMETHING! Many already have and it cost many of them their lives.

NOW FOR ALL OF US....

Regardless of where you live or where you are - we ALL have the opportunity to claim independence in our own lives as we pursue a brighter and better future. Think about it - YOU have the power to change your life in such a way so as to claim Independence in your own life in the following ways:

* FREEDOM from an uncertain future - YOU can change it and chart your course!

* FREEDOM from financial worries - YOU can change even your financial future!

* FREEDOM from the stress of the above things - Yes, again, YOU can change your future!

Get the point? I could go on and on with that type of idea but here's the kicker - YOUR FUTURE IS NOW and YOU have the POWER and the ABILITY to make it what YOU want it to be!!!!

So, for so many reasons -

Happy Independence Day!!!