Here We Go Again - "The Sky is Falling!"

How many times have we heard THAT before? When I showed my wife this graphic she began to laugh and said, "That reminds me of that New Madrid scare right before Jordan (our youngest, born in January of 1991) was born!"

 

Ah, yes! The New Madrid Fault "end of the world as we now know it" scare of December 1990. Anyone else out there remember that one? You see, living in Northwest Arkansas at the time made the "craziness" even a little bit crazier since we were fairly close AND not too far from the fault line as a whole.

 

Warnings were issued almost nightly from the television as well as the radio for everyone to be making "disaster relief kits" in order to be ready when "THE earthquake" hit.

 

I remember seeing news footage of all of the satellite trucks that had crowded the streets of that little town. Hey, at least BUSINESS was good for the locals, right?

 

The day - December 3, 1990 - came and went. No earthquake. Would you think that I'd be making it up if I told you that some people came away from that day a little disappointed? Well friend, I wouldn't be making it up simply because of the huge, relentless build up for this "event".

 

It came and it went without incident and the media had nothing else to talk about with such emphasis. Well, not until the next "big thing" came along.

 

Currently, if you turn on the national news (yes, and even the local news) you will find wild stories about the "ebola outbreak". Now, don't get me wrong. Death - to and for anyone - is a horrible thing to come due to some disease. I'm not taking that lightly at all. People have died.

 

But, what I AM saying is for all of us to step back, take a deep breath and realize that the sky really isn't falling.

 

Understand that the media MUST report such things to the point of hysteria in order to "stay in business". Like it or not, that is the truth. And, it is also true that there is fierce competition between the different stations to "out-do" one another in their reports and interviewing of "experts" (now, usually that term gets stretched to the breaking point!) or whatever it takes to get them the most viewers.

 

Still don't believe me? What does YOUR local station do when there is some sort of storm in your area that is a little out of the ordinary? You DO know what I mean, don't you? They even come up with daunting "names" for these events: "The Fierce and Frightening Flood of '01" . I just made that up but you've seen similar things, haven't you?

 

Here in Arkansas, the weatherman can predict a couple of inches of snow or a little ice and you would think that the Polar Ice Cap was planning to move in. EVERY newscast has some guy from the Highway and Transportation department being interviewed to find out what they are doing to prepare for this "life-altering event" that is headed our way!

 

And, honestly, "religious people" can be some of the worst ones of the whole bunch! Hey, just remember that I AM A BELIEVER, o.k.? But it seems that any little unusual event brings up the whole "end times" scenario that prepares us for the end of the world.

 

Here's the deal: you can allow yourself to get "sucked in" to all of this and get all worked up and stressed out over these things that are often presented as MUCH WORSE than they actually are. You can believe that or not - that obviously is your choice - but friend, this is part of the "negativity" that I always talk about us having a need to protect ourselves from...know what I mean?

 

I hope so because, after all, the sky really ISN'T falling.

 

Thanks for your time. Until next time, be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike

 

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Choose Wisely

"Make wise choices today!"

 

This was a daily encouragement that I would say as young men and women would pile out of the van or bus I was driving while working with a group of kids that were in foster care.

 

Did they always listen? Apparently not.

 

Have YOU always made wise choices. That one is easy - NO!

 

And, many times, we feel the sting and consequences of those poor choices. Some, obviously, are bigger than others but they ALL have consequences.

I've said it this way many times before: "What you do TODAY matters!"

My guess is that most - if not all - of us cried out, "I want to make my own decisions!" at some point in time while we were teens and living at home. A home, might I add, that we likely had nothing to do with providing, that likely included a place to sleep, shower, use the bathroom - INDOORS - and even had food to eat! Again, we likely had very little to do with any of that. Yet, we didn't want to abide by "their" rules...we wanted the freedom to make our own choices!

Sometimes it would be nice to not have to make so many choices again, wouldn't it? Sometimes we find that it would be quite nice to have someone else make the decisions for us. But, friend, it's just not that way anymore!

Some are still feeling the effects of poor choices and it continues on for years when it involves and includes children that, out of no fault of their own, become a part of those poor choices.

Let's get to the bottom line here: Although we cannot go back and undo those poor choices we CAN make better choices today that can do a couple of things -
     1. Better choices can bring about a process of healing that may be needed due to past poor choices.
     2. Better choices today can prevent us from making those same mistakes again!

Stop living in the past - that, alone, is a poor choice!

Live TODAY and make the best choices possible by putting thought - CLEAR thought - into the process. Yeah, you and I BOTH are capable of doing that, friend!

"As long as there is breath, there is hope!" -- I came up with that several years ago and it still applies today. TODAY you are alive and breathing. That means that TODAY you have the chance, the HOPE of making things better and making wiser choices!

So, get on with it. And, as you do so, be sure to...

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

Mike

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When Will YOUR Last Day Come?

What If?

This is being written on May 24, 2011 and, just in the past few days there have been big news stories about some things that HAVE happened and some big news stories about things that DIDN'T happen.

This past Saturday, according to one guy, was supposed to be the last day of this world's existence. Well, obviously, since I'm writing this article a few days later, it didn't happen. Lots of coverage of this prediction and lots of people panicking over what they needed to do before it was too late.

This past Sunday evening a horrific tornado hit the city of Joplin, Missouri. The pictures an images I have seen looks like a bomb was dropped on that city. Over 100 people are dead at this point with that amount expected to rise.

As a matter of fact, this Spring has been horrible in the area of terrible weather disasters such as other tornadoes that have killed hundreds in many different states and flooding affecting many hundreds, if not thousands, more.

So, the question comes to mind, "What IF today IS your last day on this earth?"

What then?

Here's the bottom line - we have no idea when that will be.

Regardless of what some self-proclaimed prophet says (the Bible clearly states that NO ONE knows) we don't know.

Even if you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease and you are given a few days to live, the doctors STILL don't know exactly when your last day will be.

And, when it comes to weather tragedies, we surely don't know.

I'm really not trying to be TOO somber in this article but all of this simply points to one main thought that I have tried to emphasize over the past couple of years -- TODAY is all we have!

TODAY.

Since it is so obvious that we have no idea when our last day will be, why don't we live TODAY as if it WERE our last?

We see all kinds of neat bumper stickers with phrases emphasizing such and even hear powerful songs sung that state what one would do if they knew their time was cut short. There are even movies about crossing things off of a list before one dies.

But, simply put, you have RIGHT NOW. You may not even have the rest of the day but you DO have the current moment.

Kind of brings a whole new perspective to the phrase, "live in the moment" doesn't it?

Just something to think about and perhaps something to help us live in such a way that, when "that time" comes we have no regrets.

Along with those thoughts, whatever you do, be sure to....

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

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

The Chilean Earthquake IMPACT

Most, if not all of us, are well aware of the devastating earthquake that hit the country of Chile over this past weekend. I have watched the progression of news articles that have increased the death toll from "dozens" to now over 700 and many of us have seen the images of the terrible destruction and devastation that has come as a result of this earthquake.

One thing that caught my attention, too, was the extended impact of this earthquake with the tsunami warnings that were posted for so many different countries. Here is a small clip from an on-line report I found that emphasizes this fact:

"The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancels its widespread alert after smaller-than-expected waves hit Japan and Russia. Earlier, experts had issued a warning for 53 countries and regions in the area."

Wow! Fifty-three countries impacted by this one earthquake! I discuss on today's podcast how this brought a few thoughts to mind on how we are connected in this world in so many ways. Let's look at this thought first and then I'll discuss another train of thought that came to mind with this terrible tragedy.

First of all, this world is connected in many more ways than just the physical impact that this earthquake had on some many areas and countries. Because of the expansiveness of our modern media, we have almost IMMEDIATE news and images brought to us from all over the world when such a tragedy strikes.

Yes, there IS also a positive side to the same media that I "ranted" about in last weeks program and it is how it CAN make us all aware of the need for help in situations like this. It also can help us have empathy for those suffering from such a tragedy and, hopefully, move us to ACTION to help in whatever way that we can.

CAUTION: However, we still must be very careful with the AMOUNT of coverage of this tragedy that we allow ourselves to "consume". We can become overwhelmed with emotion to the point of depression if we sit and watch the non-stop coverage of these terrible happenings in our world. So, just be aware of that and be careful in the AMOUNT of coverage that you take in.

Technology also allows us to be connected to people all over the world and to be impacted by these events because of that connection. I have a friend, Carola, that is from Chile and, although rattled and pretty much having everything in her house destroyed, she is alive and well! I have never met Carola but have "connected" with her through several different avenues available on the Internet including Facebook.

You have similar instances in your life, I'm sure. We have the ability to be in contact with people that we have never even met - WOW!

But, here's the question: What are you doing with that?

Here's what I mean - you may have 10,000 followers on Twitter and 10,000 friends on Facebook, but what are you doing with that? Is it just a "let's see who can get the most numbers" thing or is it an OPPORTUNITY for YOU to do good and impact lives?

I really want to encourage you to consider the latter and take advantage of the "tools" available to each of us today to impact people's lives all around this wonderful world of ours! Sure, chat with your friends and laugh and have fun, but also take the time to encourage and share positive thoughts and ideas.

Finally, the Chilean earthquake, along with the recent earthquake in Haiti brought to mind some thoughts that are a little more sobering. There are NO GUARANTEES in life! Put even more plainly, LIFE IS NOT GUARANTEED!

You've heard me say (or read) many times that TODAY is all we have and that "tomorrow" is an illusion. Recently in our discussion of 12 Things to Do For a Positive Life we ended with something along the lines of, "Make the most of each day and evening because, once gone, they are gone forever!"

Think of the countless numbers of people in Chile and Haiti that, either the day before or even earlier in the same day, spoke to friends and family for the last time without realizing it. I'm not trying to be morbid, I promise. I'm simply trying to bring into focus the need for us to make the most of the time we have NOW!

Make the most of each day. Do today what needs to be done. Don't put it off. Don't wait for a better opportunity to share you life and love with those around you. Do it TODAY.

Keep those that have been impacted by these terrible tragedies in your thoughts and prayers and take the lessons mentioned here to heart and let it IMPACT your life for the better!

And, as always...

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

Mike

You Have to Keep on Living!

Hey, one thing is for sure - life isn't always fair!

But, even though that is true, there is one defining factor that each and every one of us can claim as our own "secret plan". Want to know what it is?

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

Surprised? Disappointed that it isn't something more than that? Again, sometimes the profound can be FOUND in the simple!

Yes, life can definitely knock you to your knees - but, what then? Will you stay there? Will you give up? Will you surrender?

Or, will you heed the rallying cry, "NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN, NEVER SURRENDER!" and rise to your feet to fight?

It is important for all involved to remember to fight - TO KEEP ON LIVING!

All of us have likely suffered setbacks in our lives that could cause us to sit in the shadows and slip into a deep, dark depression. And, some of us have done just that in the past. I've shared how that happened to me several years ago and I can say this with certainty - THAT'S NO WAY TO 'LIVE'!

Today I want to encourage you to LIVE in spite of adversity! I want to encourage you to rise above the pain, disappointment and the fear - and LIVE!

On today's podcast I shared a couple of examples in my own life that brought this discussion to my mind in the first place and I'll share them with you here in the blog as well.

As you know, my wife had a heart attack a little over a month ago and almost died. We know for a fact that she "flat lined" at least once. I'll get to the impact of THAT scenario in a moment, but first I'd like to discuss a different area connected to this that could stop us in our tracks.

BILLS.

That's right - medical bills. And, man, have they come pouring in! I still haven't quite figured out how we're going to handle them all - but we WILL find a way and we WILL be alright through it all! However, if we were to allow it, this - in and of itself - could knock us to our knees and throw us into deep despair!

Yet, before the first bill even arrived I told my wife that we would not let the bills stop us from living and enjoying life! Oh yes, there will be some things we will have to change and cut back on but I will not give in to the tendency to do that to the point that one ceases to enjoy life!

For example, now would not be the time for me to decide to buy a new car! That, in my opinion, would be quite foolish at this point in time. However, my wife and I did just return from a multiple day motorcycle ride up to Fayetteville, Arkansas for the Bikes, Blues and BBQ Festival there - the 3rd largest motorcycle rally in the United States.

Did it cost money? I think you can figure that one out. And, yes, there was a part of me at times (before we ever left) that thought, "We don't need to spend the money on the hotel, meals and gas right now." But I didn't let that thought prevail and we went anyway - and I am so glad we did.

For one, we now have another wonderful and memorable trip to add to our bank of memories - and pictures to look at as well. It was so good to get out in nature (the weather was GORGEOUS) and enjoy the feel of the air on our faces! It was good to see a lot of our friends and ride with a large group on Friday. All of this was good, but it was also IMPORTANT!

It was IMPORTANT for us to make this trip for another reason. I just talked about how we could not allow the bills to keep us from living - that was part of it for sure. But on the other side, it was even more IMPORTANT for us to make this trip and "keep on living".

Here's what I mean. My wife has had several people ask her in the weeks since her heart attack, "Aren't you afraid it's going to happen again?" Her answer, "No." Now, that's the shortened version of her answer because she explains something that is very important for all of us to realize!

She goes on to explain that she cannot live her life in fear! Sure, it may happen again - but it also may not! She cannot live each day in fear and allow that fear to paralyze her from living life!

I love that answer, don't you?

So, this trip was IMPORTANT for us to show others - and ourselves - that we WILL rise above this event and we WILL conquer any fear that wants to take us down and we WILL continue to live!

I'm proud of my wife! I'm proud of the way that she has filled her positive bank and knows how to put it to use in her life. I'm proud of her attitude on all of this and her determination to live life to the full - regardless!

Now, friend, listen... I do understand that many of you have been through a lot worse. Believe me, when I was sitting in the emergency room while the doctors worked on my wife, the idea of not ever getting to talk to her again crossed my mind several times - and I didn't like that thought at all.

If I had lost her - I know the impact would have been devastating. But, I do hope that, through time and with the aid of my positive deposits in my "bank" along with the help of many good friends I, too, would have chosen to live.

Friend, if you are struggling in this area - don't give up, don't give in and don't surrender. You CAN live again! You MUST live again!

Please feel free to contact me at anytime with thoughts, questions and/or input on this or any other topic - mike@futureyouuniversity.com

I'd love to hear from you and, as always...

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

Mike

RECLAIM CONTROL!

We've talked about the fact that YOU have the ability to control your thoughts! That being so, if you can control your thoughts you can control your morning....your afternoon...your day...your week - YOUR LIFE!

Do you feel as if things have spun out of control? Why? What has caused that?

Listen, I understand that there are things that happen beyond our control. For example, parents may have a teen child involved in a terrible automobile accident which claims their life. Wow - I can't even imagine that! But it happens and it may have even happened to someone reading this blog. Perhaps it has been something else for you.

Can you STILL have control after such a devastating event?

YES, YOU CAN!

Please believe me when I say that I am not "down-playing" that tragic event in any way whatsoever. But, the bottom line is this - you STILL have a choice on how you handle that tragedy!

I know I would be devastated, stunned, shocked and numb. However, somewhere along the way you have to make a decision to go on living, as hard as that may seem. Again, it's a choice that YOU make - not anyone else.

Without going further into that scenario here's something I want all of us to consider - REGARDLESS of the circumstance (death, job loss, financial struggles, relationships, etc.) you DO have a choice!

If your world is out of control consider the thought that YOU have TURNED CONTROL over to someone or something along the way. Hard to swallow, I know - but I believe it to be true.

Go back to the blog and podcast on the word, "IF" -- how many of those still creep their way into your life and your "reasons" (excuses)?

You see, if you plan to overcome these six ghosts of fear that Napoleon Hill talked about in chapter 15 of his classic, "Think & Grow Rich", then you MUST reclaim control!

You will never - you can never - move forward in any area of your life without control!

Wow, think about that statement and consider how true it really is.

So, it's YOUR day...YOUR chance....YOUR choice -- RECLAIM CONTROL. The sooner the better!

By the way, please feel free to contact me at any time with comments, suggestions, etc. at mike@futureyouuniversity.com

I'd love to hear from you.

Until then....always remember to...

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

Mike