Winners Habits

I'm not sure if the above quote was said by Dave Ramsey but I do know that I got this graphic off of one of his Facebook posts that came across my news feed.

Let me start off asking you a question - When you look over that list of things a person might desire to "win at" (starting on line 2), is there anything that YOU would add to that list? What is it that you seek and/or desire?

Whatever it is - whether it is on the list that you see in the graphic or not - it will require good habits that create positive results. It will will require a "winners habit" in order to succeed.

Whatever area you desire success, it is important that you find someone else that has been successful in that area and that you study them. Find out as much as you can about that person and about what they did to develop that success in that area. Yes, study their habits...the habits of a winner.

You've heard the phrase about there being no need to "reinvent the wheel", right? When you decide to study and emulate (copy) the habits of a champion, someone that has experienced success, you eliminate the need to "reinvent the wheel". They have "forged a path" for you to follow if you will only study and pay attention.

I would say that's some good advice found in that graphic that I've shared with you today. What are YOUR thoughts? Please take a moment and stop by my Facebook page (link below) and let me know. Thanks, in advance!

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

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One Decision Away

As I've mentioned in the podcast and the recent videos, I really want to encourage you to have your "eyes and ears open" to things like this that likely cross your path on a daily basis. Two articles ago I shared a picture that I took of a sign that I came across in an office and, in the last article, an image that I cam across during a recent study. This one? It came across my social media feed from a connection that I have through the John Maxwell program.

Why do I say this? Because again, friend, we all need to absorb as much positive information into our mindset as we can, each and every day. What you put into your mind will determine your mindset and your mindset will determine your direction in and for your life. And, if you're not paying attention, many of these opportunities will pass you by undiscovered and unnoticed.

That is one decision that you can make that, indeed, can and will take your life in a different (and better) direction. 

We all face choices and decisions every day of our lives. Some carry greater "weight" than others but, at the same time, even those "small" choices or decisions may have a greater impact than we might first consider. For example, though you may not think of it this way for now, a simple decision about what you will have for lunch may have such an impact over time. 

How so? Choices, and the decisions that follow, easily turn into habits and habits dictate a lot of things in our lives. In the above example, what you choose to eat for lunch ONE day may not be that big of a deal but, at the same time, if you have made a poor choice health-wise and that choice turns into a habit then...well, I think you can come to that conclusion for yourself.

Going back to a previous article this week, you have a choice to make between mediocrity or excellence. Getting into the habit with either of these will take you down two different directions for your life. ONE decision begins that process.

That doesn't mean that you cannot CHANGE that direction but, the longer that decision goes and the longer it has become a habit, the harder it will be to change the direction of that course. But it can be done!

"As long as there is breath, there is hope!" is a quote that I put together back on March 2, 2009 during my very first podcast. It's a quote that I say in my podcasts nearly every time I record a new episode and it is so important to understand. Every day that you are alive and breathing gives you the OPPORTUNITY to change the direction of your life - no matter how impossible it may seem.

I often use the example of a "jet ski" compared to a tanker ship. They BOTH can be turned around but, obviously, the "jet ski" will be able to do so much quicker, taking up less space and time to do so than the tanker. The tanker CAN still turn around and go in the opposite direction, but it will require much more space, time and energy. 

Think about that and determine - CHOOSE - to pay close attention to the choices that you make on a daily basis!

Often I urge you to be sure to also listen to the podcast and watch the video on the day's topic. LET ME POINT OUT that the reason for me doing so is very evident with this article. I recorded the video two days ago and recorded the podcast a few hours ago. I can promise you that this article takes a different path with totally different ideas and examples than either one of the others.

Why not  - while you are "consuming" this information - make a decision to take advantage of ALL that today's topic has to offer. Why not CHOOSE to access all three "avenues" available to you each and every day?

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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Can YOU Still "Do It"?

 "Never lose the ability to GET EXCITED about something!" - Mike Spillman

I had a little fun with the title for today's topic. I don't know that I really would want to get into all of the different answers that some of you might come up with as an answer to the title's question. It could be interesting, though!

But, as the quote reveals, I'm asking do you still have the ability to GET EXCITED about something in your life? 

My goodness, after the week's discussion that we have had, how can you NOT get excited? By the way, that's your cue if you have not yet read, listened and/or watched the topics for the week, that you need to do so.

When you consider the fact that adjustment does NOT mean failure and that you DO have the choice about changing the direction that you need to take to reach your goals and dreams - THAT'S SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

When you consider the fact that it IS possible to change your outlook from that of one that is ungrateful to being one that is THANKFUL then, friend - THAT'S SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

When you consider the fact that, even if you ARE in a rut, you don't have to STAY in that rut - THAT'S SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

When you consider the fact that even when you face difficult choices, the very fact that you HAVE choices and decisions to make shows that you are ALIVE and that you are not in a rut - THAT'S SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

When you consider that fact that EVERY NEW DAY is a day of OPPORTUNITY - THAT'S SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

And, finally, when you consider the fact that, regardless of your age or your situation in life, you CAN find something to get excited about - THAT'S SOMETHING TO GET EXCITED ABOUT!

Get the point?

Do not allow yourself to be so poisoned by ungratefulness that you fail to see all that is before you for which you have to be THANKFUL. 

Do not EVER lose your ability to get excited about LIFE!

By the way, it's CONTAGIOUS, so be sure to spread that around as much as you can 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

YouTube   Live Debt Free!

Choose Wisely

If you haven't done so yet, go back and read the last blog article. It "sets up" the thoughts behind today's podcast (as well as the next one to come). Also, be sure to listen to the PODCAST that goes along with this topic by CLICKING HERE for the iTunes page or by CLICKING HERE for the RSS feed. 

When it comes to making a DECISION about the DIRECTION of our life, we must CHOOSE WISELY, wouldn't you agree? 

Think about it, we're talking about the DIRECTION FOR YOUR LIFE - FOR LIFE! Yes, you can still correct that direction at a later time if you need to but, here's the thing to remember even with that: You will be further away from where you want to be and it will be more difficult and time consuming to get where you want to be and where you planned to be to start with!

There is a saying that carpenters use when cutting boards... "Measure twice, cut once." The idea behind that is to CHOOSE WISELY but do so BEFORE you make that cut! If you don't, you will have to do it again. If you cut it too long, you will waste time having to cut it again. But, if you cut it too short, you will not only waste time but you will also waste material because you will have to use another board to try to get it right. 

The same quote could be applied to our lives and the decisions that we must make... "Think about it more than once before you act!" There is wisdom in the idea of needing to "sleep on it" before making a decision. 

There are so many important decisions that we need to make over the course of our lives. Hey, there are many important decisions that we need to make even over the course of a year, month, week and even - at times - a day! 

What career path will you choose? If you decide that you need to CHANGE the path that you are on for your career, what path will you decide to take next?  Is it really the career path that needs to be changed or is it something within you that needs to be changed?  Are you going to get married? Who will you marry? Believe me, this is a HUGE decision that will be made and it will have an impact on you and your life for years to come as well as an impact on another generation if you have children. 

Listen, even though these choices can be changed later, THERE WILL STILL BE AN IMPACT THAT WAS MADE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MADE on your live and/or the lives of others.

So, yeah, do you get now how important it is to CHOOSE WISELY? 

Take a moment and just jot down all of the decisions that you have to make over the course of a single day. From the time that you get up (that, by the way, is a decision that you had to make) to the time that you go to bed (yes, another choice!). No matter how small you may think that decision is, if you had a choice, write it down. When you have done so, take a minute or two and look over each of those choices and see if even these "insignificant" choices and the decisions that you made with them could have a much bigger impact on your day if you had chosen differently (good and/or bad).

WHAT YOU DO, MATTERS!  

Hey listen, your decision to take the time to read this blog article was a good choice. No, not just because I'm the one that wrote it, but because you made a decision to spend some time "feeding your brain and your mindset" some good, positive information that will help you in this process.

Choosing TO do something like this and choosing NOT to do something like this WILL have an impact on your day and, in the long run, continuing with that choice on a daily basis will have a further-reaching impact on your life (and the lives of those around you).

In the next blog article I will discuss the need to do this on a DAILY basis - don't miss it! 

Until then, whatever you do, 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

HOW Will You Vote?

What Will Your Vote Be?

Perhaps the better - or more accurate - question would be, "How ARE you voting?".  Even though the title of this article is worded as "future tense", in all actuality, you VOTE every single day and, several times throughout the day.

I point this following fact out in the podcast that goes along with this article (be sure to read it - the links are at the bottom of this article)...

Your seconds turn into minutes - Your minutes turn into hours

Your hours turn into days - Your days turn into weeks

Your weeks turn into months - Your months turn into years

And your years turn into your lifetime

Hey, listen, I'm 56 years old and I find that, at times, it's hard to believe that to be true! At times it seems impossible that I have been married for 34 years and to have 3 adult sons who are all married (well, the youngest will be getting married in a couple of weeks) and that I have 2 grandchildren. 

If you have children or if you have adult children then you know exactly what I'm talking about. And, once again, I simply want to remind you that, once gone, time cannot be reclaimed or relived. No matter how badly you want to go back in time - you simply cannot do so. 

So, yeah, - TODAY MATTERS!

What is your vote or, what will your vote be as to what you will do with today? Your choice, once again, will reflect the VALUE that you have placed upon this precious time and the VALUE of this time in and for your life and the life of your loved ones. 

Now, here's the really good news about all of this: "As long as there is breath, there is hope!" That is as true today as it was when I first used it for my first podcast back on March 2, 2009. 

Even though ALL decisions that we make have some consequences (some good, some bad), they don't have to have a LASTING impact if they are poor choices. They will have a lasting impact if they are left "unchecked" and allowed to continue.  And, oh yes, there are some decisions that we make that, even though they are made in haste and controlled by emotions, can have a life-long impact even if never repeated. But there is the possibility that those relationships can be improved upon and maybe even mended.

So, yeah, it's important to THINK about all of this ahead of time. Wouldn't you agree?

Saying "I'm sorry" about such a decision may be a great response and a heart-felt response. Those words may do wonders for the healing process. However, friend, make no mistake about this - if your "vote" has been to continue that type of action to where you are saying the words, "I'm sorry" over and over again for the same decision or mistake, it begins to mean nothing.

Why? Because you have begun to demonstrate that your relationships really aren't valuable enough for you to decide to VOTE to CHANGE instead of continually apologizing.  

  

I saw a graphic earlier today that read like this: "Repentance isn't crying...its CHANGING." 

If you are truly "sorry" and you regret your past actions, then put ACTION behind the words! This, my friend, is the REAL "vote" for change!

How do you vote NOW and how will you CONTINUE to vote?

On my podcasts I always encourage my listeners to also be sure to read the blog and I want to do the same with you. Please take the time to click on one of the links below to listen to the podcast that goes along with this article. This is one of those times that what you will hear is a lot different than what you have just read. No, it doesn't contradict itself - not at all. There are just additional thoughts that I had as I recorded that podcast two days ago, than I did as I sat and typed this out. 

So, you get the benefit of BOTH and I encourage you to take advantage of both. The podcasts usually run around 10 minutes or a little less. 

Thanks, in advance, for doing that and I also ask that you do a couple of other things for me, if you don't mind. If you listen to the podcast on iTunes (see link below), please take a moment to leave a review for my podcast. Also, please stop by the fan page on Facebook (again, see link below) and say "hi" and introduce yourself - let me know where you're from and how long you've been reading and/or listening to Future You University.

Hope to hear from you soon! Until then, 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

What (or Who) Decides or Sways Your Vote?

Although this series is NOT about politics I do want to start today's discussion by asking a political question: Why do you vote the way that you do in an election?

Many times, a person votes due to "family history" and influence. As a matter of fact, some people won't even tell their parents (or other family members) how they vote (or they lie about it) because they don't want to have a big "political argument" about their choice. Sometimes it's due to religious values. 

There are may different reasons that a person votes the way that they do in a political election. What about you? Why do you vote the way that you do?

In much the same way, there are many reasons as to why we "vote" the way that we do about the direction of our lives. (If you haven't done so, go back and read the last two articles that leads up to this one...they all "build" on each other). 

Some people choose the direction of their life because of the way that they were raised or due to other family expectations. Some don't put much thought or value on the direction of their own lives and future because that is what they have seen in the lives of their own parents. On the other side of the spectrum are those that are pressured into following a particular path of study or career choice because that is what their parents want or expect from them. 

Just as there are many different reasons for why people vote the way that they do in an election, so are there many different reasons for why people "vote" the way that they do concerning the direction of their life. 

What about you?

You've likely heard the idea that you are the "average" of the 5 - 10 people with whom you spend the most time. When I say that you are the "average", I'm talking about in every area of your life. That's right. You tend to fit into the average, financially, of those that you hang around with as well as spiritually, career-wise, family guidelines (discipline, etc.) and anything else you can think of. This even goes down to what kind of vehicle that you drive!

What's that old saying? "Birds of a feather flock together." 

Wow, when you actually look at this closely, you may be surprised by these things. You may decide that you need to change who it is that you hang out with or, you may discover that you LIKE the influence that these people have on and for your life.

The key thing in this is the fact that YOU HAVE A CHOICE or a VOTE!

One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is, "WHY?". In any area of our life and in EVERY area of our life we should stop and ask ourselves this question from time to time. "WHY am I doing what I'm doing in this particular area?" This, in essence, is how you will find out WHY you "vote" the way that you do concerning your life and the direction of your life. 

This is actually the very basis or foundation of this process. Every area of your life and the decisions that you make in those areas are "votes" that you cast about your life and your future as well as the future of your family. With that being said, don't you think it might be important to really know WHY you make those decisions? 

They are ALL important decisions because they ALL play a role in the direction of your life.  Do you think I'm being a bit over-dramatic with that last statement? I can hear some of you saying, "Oh come on, Mike. Me choosing where we eat supper tonight is not that big of a decision in the overall picture." I hear you, but it may be a bigger deal than you realize. Especially when you really examine WHY you made the choice that you made. And, especially when you really examine what thought you have put into that decision as far as how it impacts other areas of your life...such as financial. That's just an example but, friend, most people have no idea how much money they actually spend on eating out and other "extras" while they complain about never having enough money. 

Yes, it is your life. Absolutely. That's the whole point, friend. It is YOUR life and your life will go where YOU lead it and direct it to go. And, all of that happens with the votes that you cast on a daily basis. 

Let me end with this. There's no reason to drive yourself crazy for the rest of your life thinking about every little thing in your life. You may need to examine it all closely for a period of time. However, once you discover your focus and purpose for your life, you will then act "automatically" based on that focus and purpose. Yes, you will still need to do a "check up" from time to time to make sure you haven't wandered off course too far, but it will become a natural part of your life.

Either way, your daily "vote" counts and the impact of those votes are likely greater than you and I realize, friend!

This article is one of those situations that I talk about on the podcast where I encourage you to listen to the podcast as well as read the article because they are not exactly the same. They are not done at the same time and I don't follow a script. THIS ARTICLE is a lot different than the podcast that I recorded for this topic. So, please, read the following couple of paragraphs carefully and take the time to listen to the podcast as well. 

So, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

And, until next time, whatever you do,  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

How To Make Things Happen

Before we get started, if you HAVE NOT at LEAST read and/or listened to yesterday's article - DO THAT BEFORE YOU READ THIS!

 

The information in yesterday's post is not just a one-day thing! Make it an on-going process that you involve yourself in and allow your mind to expand DAILY as you do so!

 

Now, let me also say this - today's blog article CAN be read and applied individually and can be applied to any and every area of your life. Make sense?

 

However, as part of this series that began last week, I really want to stress how important it is for you to be fully involved in this whole set and ESPECIALLY by connecting yesterday's information to what I share with you today from Bob Proctor.

 

Now, as I have been doing for the past couple of posts, I've highlighted in color the part of this post that comes directly from the notes I took from the presentation by Mr. Proctor so that you can differentiate between my thoughts and his. You won't find much "colored" words in this post (as you can already see for yourself) because, again, what I'm sharing with you from him is very simple and powerful and to the point.

 

So, in specific relation to the discussion from the last post about sharing one way to make the things discussed there become a reality, I share Mr. Proctor's response:

 

Things Don't Happen Unless YOU DECIDE That They Will Happen!

 

In other words, if you want that to become a reality in your life then you must first DECIDE to make it happen! MAKE A DECISION!

 

Listen to me! This "decision" cannot be a "half-hearted" response such as, "uh, o.k....uh, sure."

 

THAT IS NOT A DECISION!

 

It's much like what I discussed about so many people's "New Year's Resolution" that is done and gone within a month. That is NOT a resolution. There was no RESOLVE (root word) in the first place to carry that through.

 

So it is with a DECISION!

 

I'm talking an "I will not stop until this is done!" kind of decision. This, my friend, is a real RESOLUTION! "I will do whatever it takes!"

 

Do you have that ability? SURE YOU DO!

 

Is your desire that strong? Only you can answer that one. It IS within you, but only YOU can make that choice, that DECISION.

 

Look closely at what I shared from Mr. Proctor - "Things don't happen..."  This relates to EVERYTHING and EVERY AREA in and of your life!

 

If you've followed me for very long at all, you will know that I, many times, end my discussions with, "It's up to you! It's YOUR choice!"

 

As is often said, your "WHY" must be strong enough to bring about such a decision in your life Again, specifically in regards to the last blog article, you must be willing to answer the questions presented there..."How would your life change if..."

 

For things to change, YOU must change.

 

The only way YOU can change (and/or change the things in your life that you want/need to change) is to make a DECISION to do so.

 

So, you up for it?

 

Only YOU can decide.

 

Just know, whatever you do or don't do, a decision has been made.

 

Until next time...

 

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

 

Mike

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CHANGES: I Screwed Up!

CHANGES: I SCREWED UP!!

Now, hopefully you're really familiar with F.Y.U (Future You University) but I hope you're not TOO familiar with I.S.U. (I Screwed Up!).

But, let's face it, since we are all human we ALL spend time trying to deal with the consequences that come when we screw up, right?

Before I get too far into the discussion for today, let's take a look at the four types of changes that we face in our lives:

TYPES OF CHANGES: (1)Those we voluntarily bring on ourselves... (2) those that we have no choice in but are not "against" us (change of seasons, life changes due to age, etc.)... (3)those that come at us DUE TO our actions and (4) those that come to us 100% involuntarily and at no fault of our own.

If you haven't gone back and read the articles on the first two (and/or listened to the podcasts that go with them) then you might want to do that first to catch up with the discussion so far.

So, for today, we are going to talk about the 3rd category listed above: Those changes that come our way due to our own actions. In other words, changes that come when we SCREW UP!

Here's the deal even with this: too many people still try to blame other people or other circumstances for their own screw ups and won't take the action necessary to accept the blame, do what can be done to correct the mess and then move on!

Does that describe you? (*OUCH!*)

Hey, let's face it...it's hard to ADMIT it when we suffer or those connected to us (spouse, children, friends, etc.) suffer due to our own screw ups! Seriously, who wants to admit to that?

But, it's necessary for us to wake up and realize that we have made a big mistake so that we can hopefully learn from it and avoid that same mistake in the future.

Have you noticed that those that fail to do this seem to keep making the same dumb mistakes over and over again?

Again, does that describe you?

If it does, DO soemthing about it and LEARN as you move forward.

Hey, let's face this fact too...sometimes we just make a wrong decision and we suffer CHANGES that aren't good for us or those that are around us. It's not necessarily a pattern in our lives but, nonetheless, it causes some problems, right?

Maybe you pulled your family up from where you lived and moved them across the country for a new job that you thought would be best for all of you and it turns out that it was, actually, a very poor decision.

This ties in closely with our last topic about those changes that come due to our voluntarily actions but, yet, it's a little different because, at times (unlike that last example) these changes come due to our stupidity.

A bit blunt, huh?

Sometimes an inablility to control our temper and/or our tongue results in changes due to that inability. Maybe you told your boss off and got fired. Now what?

Do that type of thing too many times and you will find it harder and harder to get hired by anyone!

I was talking to someone not too long ago that was complaining about their current situation so I asked them what their "ideal situation" would be. They described it to me and then said, "But I know that will never happen." When I asked them why they would say that here was their response: "Because of all of the stupid stuff that I keep on doing!"

Thing is, during the time period that I was having this discussion with this person they were still doing some of the same stupid stuff that was keeping them from their "ideal situation".

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

So, let's get on to thinking about some sort of solution to this mess. How does that sound?

FIRST, if you fit the type of scenario like the last guy I talked about then you MUST decide what is more important in your life....keeping on doing what you are doing and getting the same results OR starting to CHANGE your life so that you can IMPROVE your life. As you've heard many times before the very definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things over and over again and to expect different results.

Part of this solution is to begin to discipline yourself... your temper, your tongue, your attitude, etc. Only you can do it but this type of infomation and other positive information can help you in this endeavor.

SECONDLY, if you are suffering through change due to a misinformed decision then, most importanlty, admit that mistake - no matter how hard it is to do so - and start moving toward correcting and/or limiting the damage that comes to the change connected to that decision.

Part of that may be apologizing to those that are being impacted due to that decision. Simply and honestly tell them that you blew it and that you are sorry and that if there was any way for you to go back and erase it all, you would.

Thing is, you can't. You can simply try to improve your current situation.

Can I also help you face some reality? It may be something that can be corrected fairly easily and quickly but prepare yourself for those situations that will NOT be corrected easily OR quickly. The main thing in a situation like that is to keep yourself focused on a SOLUTION and to NOT focus on the mistake and what happened in the past.

YES, pay attention to the mistake so that you can learn from it and not repeat it in the future but DO NOT LINGER ON IT!

I'd be happy to discuss this with your further if you'd like to contact me via the website and share with me your situation.

Remember this: WE ALL SCREW UP sooner or later. The key is what we do AFTER that realization.

Hopefully, as we mature and learn the changes in our life that are due to our own decisions will be more positive than negative and we'll learn to handle those that we can't control with a more positive attitude and mindset.

Until next time, be sure to ....

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

Mike

The Path Taken Today

The Path Taken Today

The path taken today determines...

How would YOU complete that statement?

Would you, like many, end it by stating that the path taken today will determine your future?

If you were to state such, would you be talking about your "long-term" future or just your "immediate" future?

This is going to be short and to the point so stay focused and pay attention to what I'm actually saying here, o.k.?

I'll give a nod to the fact that the path taken today may determine your immediate future but there is no way in the world that I'd even give a hint of a nod to the idea that it determines your long-term future.

How discouraging and depressing it would be (and IS for many that fall into this "often promoted yet WRONG" thought process) to think that once you've made a mistake your future is doomed because of that mistake.

Should we be careful in our choices? Sure.

But, here's the deal according to the way I see it and according to the way I've been forced to live it at times... Your FUTURE is less determined by a path that you take than it is by how QUICKLY you are able to determine if you are on a WRONG path!

Think about that for a moment.

Simple analogy - if you take a wrong turn on a trip are you DESTINED to stay on that route and continue down a wrong direction? Uh, NO.

So, for one, you can turn around and correct this wrong decision by going back to where you made a wrong turn and correcting that mistake by then taking the RIGHT path. Right?

Here's another analogy that you may relate to... have you ever taken a wrong turn and had your GPS constantly remind you to turn around? But have you also had your GPS refigure directions based on the direction you are going (even if it IS wrong based on the original mapping) and allow you to get "back on the right path"? I have on several occasions.

So, secondly, once you realize you are on the wrong path you still have the ability to make a few adjustments and get back on track to reach your original destination even if it IS not the same path you meant or intended to take in the beginning. (By the way, this could also be called a "detour").

In closing, if you've made some wrong and even bad decisions or have gone down the wrong path then WAKE UP and do something about it. There is NO reason to keep heading down the wrong path ESPECIALLY once you realize you're going the wrong way.

THAT, my friends, would be idiotic.

Wouldn't it?

Stay on track, friend and, as you go along this journey always be sure to...

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

Mike

How To Choose Responsibly

"HOW TO CHOOSE RESPONSIBLY"

Good ol' Monty Hall and "Let's Make a Deal". I talked about this program in yesterday's entry so, if you missed it, go back and check it out.

One of the things I mentioned was the tendency of ALL of us to say AFTER all has been revealed, "Oh, I KNEW I should have picked that other choice!"

20/20 hindsight, remember?

I'm sure you would agree that this is EASY to apply to our lives. I'm sure ALL of us can look back on both good and bad decisions we have made and see rather EASILY what we either should have done or breathe a sigh of relief because of what we DID choose.

So, how CAN we choose responsibly?

The main part of the answer is found in one word in the question - "responsibly".

Decisions that are made without much thought are usually irresponsible decisions. They may be made in the heat of passion or anger or just an overdrive dose of excitement. (By the way, this is why so many sales pitches try to get you to "BUY NOW" or tell you that the offer is good "for today only"! When this is the case you might want to really consider staying away at LEAST until you have had a chance to step away and think about it AWAY from the hype.)

So, first and foremost, in order to make a RESPONSIBLE decision about ANYTHING, make sure you are not being swayed by emotion of any kind.

You should also avoid any choice that is being swayed by DESPERATION! This is another type of emotion that bring people to making rash and irresponsible decisions. Again - PAY ATTENTION TO THIS PATTERN - there are many "sales people" that are actually looking for people to "prey on" that are DESPERATE. Again, take the time to step away from the situation and give yourself a chance to think clearly.

Think about it this way - many times when someone is struggling to keep from drowning they will take their rescuer down with them and drown them as well. Why? PANIC! DESPERATION! Life guards are taught to be aware of this upon their approach so that they do not become a second victim of the situation. Most people, when they have a chance to think of it when they are NOT desperate, know that they should try to remain calm and listen to the rescuer and do as they say. But, in the heat of the moment it's often a different story!

And, finally (at least for this article) you must consider your RESPONSIBILITY toward others if you wish to choose responsibly. This is the part that I said was found in one of the words to the main question. All of the things that I have mentioned so far in this article can fall into this category. Consider your responsibility to others BEFORE making a choice. This may be your spouse, your kids, other family members, your boss and/or coworkers, etc.

You may - in the heat of the moment (remember, this is the time to STEP AWAY!) decide that you want to take a job on the opposite coast without even thinking about the repercussions on your family. Oops!

Sure, it's "your life" but you have also made some choices earlier in your life - if you have a family - that has brought others into the equation that MAKES UP "your life" and they MUST be considered in your decisions. Like it or not - that's just the way it is, friend.

UNLESS you choose to act irresponsibly!

And, if you are NOT married and you plan to do so one day then, please understand, it is IMPERATIVE that you spend time talking about all kinds of things with your potential partner so that you can BOTH see if you are on "the same page" on important things.

Well, that's enough for today.

How do you choose responsibly? DO NOT MAKE DECISIONS IN THE "HEAT OF THE MOMENT". That's it in a nutshell.

HOMEWORK: (What? What do you mean "homework"?) Take a moment and look back over decisions that you would now label as "poor" and see if you can find some "heat of the moment" factor that was connected to that decision. I'd love to hear what you find.

Until next time...

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

Mike

http://www.michaelspillman.com/

"Choose Responsibly!"

"CHOOSE RESPONSIBLY!"

Your first thought may be, "Choose carefully!", which is also very important to remember but, today, we are going to focus on the "responsibility" aspect of our choices.

When I chose the picture for today's blog article it made me think of the old "Let's Make a Deal" program with Monty Hall. (Yes, I know there is a remake on television right now but I prefer the original on ALL of these game shows).

There were CHOICES that the contestants had to make all through the program and it would come to the grand finale when the top contestants would CHOOSE their final prize (one of which was the GRAND PRIZE for the day). Door #1, Door #2 or Door #3?

I vividly remember yelling MY choice at the t.v. when I was a child but I'm sure YOU have NEVER done anything like that, right?

Now, think about this...how many times have YOU said (or heard someone else say) something like, "Oh, that's the one I WAS going to choose!" once it has been revealed that you picked the wrong door?

20/20 hindsight, right?

We can do that in just about any and every area of our lives, can't we? I know I can!

So, yes, not only is it important to CHOOSE CAREFULLY when it comes to the choices that we face every day but SPECIFICALLY when it comes to CHOOSING what we allow into our minds, but, even more importantly is the fact that we must choose RESPONSIBLY!

Why? Because, again, what we CHOOSE to allow into our mindset will not only impact US but it will also have an impact upon EACH and EVERY person that we come into contact with throughout each and every day. And this starts with those that are closest to you.

RESPONSIBILITY for CHOOSING what we allow into our minds.

Let that concept sink in a little and I'll continue this discussion tomorrow. But, until then...

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

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

"When the Going Gets Tough..." (Part 1)

"When the Going Gets Tough..." (Part 1)

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going!"

Wow, wouldn't it be great IF that were always true in our own lives? But, let's be honest, it's NOT always true in our own lives, is it?

I was reading an article a few minutes ago and someone made the comment on "self-help" books, (and I quote loosely) "Most of these books work if you do the work. Of course, if you do the work, you don't need the books in the first place."

I think I understand what this person means and, on one level, I agree with them.

But, at the same time, I also find this idea that we can do it all on our own! And, that goes back to that idea of the quote being used for this series of podcasts and blogs (too, don't forget I'm also video taping my podcast - go to the main site to hook up to my YouTube channel - www.MichaelSpillman.com).

It would be GREAT if we could always just blast right through any and all obstacles that get in our way!

But, honestly, we're simply not made that way.

What do I mean? Simply put: WE NEED EACH OTHER!

Isn't that true? As hard as some people may try, it's like the old quote, "No man is an island." Even though people give us headaches and heartaches from time to time the fact remains: WE NEED EACH OTHER!

So, that's one reason I am so thankful that you are reading this. I hope that I'm able to help you with the mindset necessary to keep moving forward. And, let me say this - I NEED YOU and am ENCOURAGED by you when you leave comments and encourage me by letting me know that this helps you even in some small way.

So, bottom line, we don't always GET GOING when things get tough.

That being said, here's the first "end of the quote" I want to use for today:

"When the going gets tough...WE HAVE CHOICES TO MAKE!"

In my opinion we have only TWO choices when things get tough. We can either GIVE UP or we can choose to GET UP!

Oh, I know you've head me say that before - but it's still true and it applies to this situation.

When you get knocked to your knees it's easy to "just stay down" and to try to avoid any more hurt or struggle. It's easy to give up thinking that by doing so the struggle will either ease up or just go away.

FALSE!

You can be assured that it WON'T go away or ease up just because we have chosen to "throw in the towel". There's more to be said on this part and I will be sharing thoughts on this throughout this little series (as well as on the podcast - be sure to listen to them because I don't use a script to make sure that I say the EXACT same thing there and here both!).

But for now, let's all realize that GIVING UP is one decision that you could make when things get tough.

The other? GET UP and KEEP MOVING forward REGARDLESS of the tough situation that is invading your life for the moment.

Don't miss those last three words..."for the moment".

Here's one thing you can count on when it comes to tough times: Tough times come and tough times go.

And, yeah, then they come again. But, guess what? Then they also "go" again.

It's simply part of life and part of BEING ALIVE!

We'll be talking more about what this means for each of us but keep this in mind - YOU ARE CHOOSING A PATH EACH AND EVERY DAY.

Which path are YOU choosing? The path that is part of the "giving up" choice or the path that is part of the "getting up" choice?

Hey, let's get real and honest here. You already know which path you are choosing, don't you?

And, too, some days we choose one path and, on other days we choose the other one.

That being so, aren't you glad we have each other to help out along the way? I know I am!

And I am THANKFUL for you!

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

Mike

Even When You Don't...

"Even When You Don't - You Do!"

- Mike Spillman

We're talking about some of YOUR favorite quotes this week but, until some more are sent in from you I will resort to using some of my own! Oh yeah, I have a bunch of them to share with you.

Don't think it's too late to get them in --- I'd love to have you share them with me and I will likely either carry this over to next week as well OR just store some of them up for a future set of podcasts. Either way - please send in your favorite quote along with a short note as to why it is so special and meaningful to you.

Sometimes we may be fooled into thinking that the way to NOT make mistakes is to simply DO NOTHING!

WRONG. That's the BIGGEST mistake you can make!

Sure, if you make a choice or if you make a decision it could be the wrong one and it could be deemed as a "mistake". And, I understand how someone could begin to shy away from making ANY choice or decision if the past several have seemed to turn out wrong.

I highlighted the word "seemed" in the preceding paragraph for a reason. Whether we realize it or not, we often determine something to be a "mistake" before the results of that choice/decision have had a chance to run its full course. Sure, it may bring a lot of problems and criticism, etc. into your life right now (who WOULDN'T think that it was wrong when it's like that?) but, you still don't know the final result.

For example, the person you do or don't marry is a decision that you simply CANNOT be 100% sure about one way or the other until years down the road. The one that you DIDN'T marry...well, you'll never know, will you? But, it may have been a blessing and not a mistake! And, the one you DID marry? Sometimes we find a completely different person once the honeymoon is over, right? Sometimes, even when you are SO happy on the wedding day and SO convinced that this person is the ONE FOR LIFE...you find out even years later that this may also have been the biggest mistake of your life.

Hey, good or bad - that's life, right?

So, what do you do? Just STOP getting involved in life and STOP making any decisions?

"Even when you don't - you do!"

The very act of attempting to STOP making a decision is a decision in and of itself!

Deciding to withdraw from life so that you don't get hurt is a decision that WILL hurt you.

So...bottom line - GET IN THE GAME! Bumps and bruises are just part of the game and only those that sit on the sidelines are the ones that have clean uniforms and no scratches!

I once heard the following observation about there being three groups of people at any event - in this situation, let's use a football game. First, there are those that are IN the stadium and that have paid good money to have a ticket to WATCH the game. They may really get into the game and be very passionate, but they still are only WATCHING the game. Then, there are those that are ON THE FIELD and that are actually PLAYING the game! It's not as easy as that person sitting up in the bleachers and sometimes the players get hurt - some worse than others, but they PLAY TO WIN and pain is just part of their participation. And finally, there are those that are OUTSIDE of the stadium. They decided - for whatever reason - NOT to buy a ticket but to sit and/or stand outside of the stadium hoping some of the excitement of even being this close might rub off on them. PLAY the game? No way! That's too dangerous! PAY for the game? No way! That's too expensive! Stand outside the stadium and neither PAY nor PAY? Well, they DO hear the crowd roar when something exciting happens! They have no idea WHAT happened, but they can hear the roar of the crowd and WONDER WHAT HAPPENED.

Friend, that is NO WAY to live life! As a matter of fact, that is NOT "living" life at all - it is merely existing on the sidelines WONDERING what happened.

LIVE LIFE and LIVE LIFE TODAY!

Don't let your past mistakes keep you from pushing forward. Hey, the only ones that AREN'T making mistakes are the ones in the grave.

Keep that in mind as you go for it! And...as you do, always remember to:

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

Mike

The Power of Choice!

The Power of Choice!

Make no mistake about it - the power of CHOICE is a very POWERFUL thing we all possess!<>

Some treat this possession with great care while others use it lightly - not understanding (or, perhaps, not caring) the power of this possession.

This great possession - the power of CHOICE - will determine the direction of your day, week, month, year and life. Now, will anyone try to tell me that this is NOT a great and powerful possession?

You have it and I have it. We all have it. We all use it or abuse it.

What about you?

Now listen, in order for all of us to "get real" with this and in order for me not to come across as unrealistic I must say that there are times that we make wise choices and there are times that we make unwise choices.

Just because we may understand the POWER of choice does not mean we will always make the best choice. Aren't there times that you made an unwise choice but, at the time, you thought it was the RIGHT choice?

Those that abuse and fail to understand the power of this great possession are those that really don't put much - if any - thought and consideration into their choices. Many times they are perfectly happy to allow OTHERS to make their choices for them. This is a LAZY way to exist. I won't say it's a lazy way to "live" life because this is not living at all - it is existing.

So, where do you fit in?

Hopefully, even if you have been in the category of the "lazies" you have been working hard at transitioning to the category of one that truly understands the power of choice. But, again, please understand that this will not make you immune to bad choices.

What do YOU do when you discover that you have made a poor choice? Give up? Blame someone else? Sit down right where you are and throw a "pity party"? All of the above?

Here's the oddity about choices. Once made and acted upon, they cannot be changed. (Notice this - they can be made and changed BEFORE they are acted upon, but once they are acted upon, there is no changing them). HOWEVER...even once they have been acted upon and you realize it was a BAD choice, you CAN go back and decide to choose a different path.

That, in itself, is VERY POWERFUL!

Now, even though we can go back and decide to choose a different path doesn't mean that all of the impact of the bad choice will disappear. It won't!

But, here is a choice even about that: Even with the impact of a bad choice raining down on your head you have two choices - 1. Stay there and have your "pity party" while you suffer the negative consequences OR 2. Realizing that you are going to deal with the consequences regardless, you can retrace your steps and go back and make a decision that will take you down a better path even while the impact of your original bad choice still comes down all over and around you.

So....are you ready for this? Even though you make a BAD choice you still have a CHOICE as to whether or not you go back and CHOOSE to correct your original bad choice!

Wow!

Too many people think that once they have made a bad choice that they are STUCK!

WRONG!

Now, again, consequences may have to be paid for a very long time. For example, maybe you are one of the thousands of people that got into a loan situation for a house that, once those balloon payments rolled around, found out you couldn't afford that house after all and you ended up going through a foreclosure. "OH NO! MY LIFE IS RUINED!"

No, it's not.

Yes, there will be CONSEQUENCES to pay for a very long time - but your life is not over and it does not prevent you from learning from the experience and now making wiser choices.

I know that to be true because I went through it about 20 years ago. Never forget, "As long as there is breath there is hope!"

If you have not done so, go and listen to the podcasts for this week and tie all of this in together. Even if you don't like where you are right now -- it's not the end! You CAN make corrections and changes (which, in itself is a choice) to improve your situation.

I'd love to hear from you at anytime with your thoughts and your own experiences in this area. Just shoot me an e-mail at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

Also, don't wait - it all begins TODAY!

And, as you go through your day with a positive mindset, don't forget to...

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

Mike

FutureYouUniversity.com

Are You Happy Here?

Are You HAPPY Here?

We have been discussing the and exploring the idea of WHERE YOU ARE in your life. Right now. Today.

With the thought of "You are Here!" we began to ask the question, "Where IS here?" and you have been encouraged to do a little honest digging to figure out WHERE "here" really is.

As hard as that may have been for some of you, the REALLY difficult part comes with the realization that "you are where you have been going". I both love AND hate that statement! I love it because it "cuts to the chase" and really gets right down to it. I also HATE it for the exact same reason!

When we strip away all of the excuses (yeah, I know, you might try to call them "reasons") and stop playing the "blame game" as to why we are where we are - there 's no one else to look at but ourselves. Ouch!

You are where you are because of the steps that you have taken along the way.

Another way to think about these "steps" is to use a different word instead. Let's try this - you are where you are because of the CHOICES that you have made along the way.

Now we're getting somewhere!

One of the things I did in today's podcast to help us understand this a little easier by using a "real world" example was to have you go back through your day - up to this point - and list all of the choices that you have made thus far.

This is the EXACT same thing we can do - and NEED to do - in order to really see why we are where we are. So, for an example, I will go back through my day up to this point and talk about some of the CHOICES that were presented to me along the way.

1. Setting the alarm - Now, first of all, THIS decision (choice) was made before I even went to bed last night. So, THAT was a choice made.

2. Alarm - yes or no? I also had several choices to make even though I had SET the alarm. I could get up EARLIER than the set time, I could get up when the alarm went off OR I could hit the "snooze" button once, twice or however many times. I actually chose to get up BEFORE the alarm went off and enjoyed a peaceful 30 minutes or so sitting out on the front porch in the cool of the morning.

3. Order of Getting Ready - Should I eat breakfast first or shower and dress first?

4. What for Breakfast - What should I eat for breakfast (MANY choices can be made here. As a matter of fact, you may have seen a commercial on television that talks about how making the right choice for breakfast may lead to making wise choices along the way).

5. What to wear - Now, I probably don't spend as much time on this as a lot of people but it is still a choice that presents itself daily.

6. What time to leave - Again, the same choices exist as getting up in the morning or ANYTHING to do with time. I could leave early, leave at the time I had planned, or - due to a lack of proper planning - leave late and be rushed.

7. At the office - I have several choices available to me each day (as do you) once I arrive at my office. What should I do first? Check e-mail? Check for phone messages? Write this blog? Reorganize my "to do" list?

That is where I am currently - going through my decisions on #7...obviously, right now I have chosen to write this blog.

Again, the same thing is true of our lives in general!

Whether you are happy with your "here" or not - it is important to see how you got where you are AND to correct, change and/or "tweak" possible unwise choices that you made along the way.

You see, on ANY of the decisions that we make during the day we can always go back - after examining these choices - and see what needs to be changed! For example, if we find ourselves constantly running late in the morning and being rushed then we need to CHANGE what we are doing in relation to #1 on the list above. Why? Because what we are doing is not working and, likely, we don't like the end result!

Even if you are HAPPY with your "here" you still need to go back and constantly check that you are staying on course and not picking up any bad habits that could derail your progress.

I came up with the following saying a couple of years ago and, as a matter of fact, if you are on Facebook you can find it as a "flair" by searching "choices". I'm not sure if there is a way to narrow that down even more - let me know if you have problems finding it. Here is what it says:

"All choices require a decision. All decisions are a choice."

Pure and simple. Straight to the point.

That's what we all need, friend. Let's stop making excuses, let's stop whining and complaining. Let's start taking ownership for what we have or have not done and where we ARE. Thing is, whether you want to take ownership or not - it's all yours.

So, if you're happy with your "here" - AWESOME! Keep up the great work, stay focused as move closer to your goals and dreams.

And, if you're not - what are YOU (yes, YOU) going to do about it?

We'll have that discussion in tomorrow's podcast and blog entry so, until then...

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

Mike

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