Purpose Without Apology

(be sure to check out the podcast on iTunes or on the RSS feed)

Let's kick this thing off BIG and BOLD right off from the start today...make NO APOLOGIES for living a life OF purpose and ON purpose!

If people around you don't like it and/or ridicule you for doing so - rid yourself of such people. If they have that type of attitude about living a life of purpose then, obviously, they do not desire to be involved in living a life of purpose. And, that being so, why would YOU (someone that is now determined to live such a life of purpose) desire to have that type of influence in your life?

MAKE NO APOLOGIES for deciding that life is better spent in service to others rather than focusing on self. MAKE NO APOLOGIES for desiring to follow in the steps of Jesus by being a SERVANT rather than one being served). MAKE NO APOLOGIES for choosing to live a life that is full of happiness as one that is full of loneliness.

Get the point?

Hey, if you are a "stay-at-home-mom" DO NOT MAKE APOLOGIES for choosing to live that life! Society as a whole may try to make you feel as if you are not really living up to your full potential or "pulling your own weight" but, understand this - if you have chosen to be at home with your kids then you have chosen to live a LIFE OF PURPOSE! And that purpose is to be there to love, teach and train your children to grow up to be people focused on living a life of service and purpose.

If you are a single mom (or dad) and you're doing everything you can to provide for your family - MAKE NO APOLOGIES for doing so! Many may try to make you feel guilty for working two jobs trying to provide for your family while they stay with someone else. But again, understand this - if you are FORCED to be in this situation then MAKE NO APOLOGIES for doing what you have to do to provide a home and a way to live for your children. **NOTE: Notice that I emphasized the word "forced" in the previous sentence. Why? Because there is a difference in someone doing what they have to do and someone that is choosing to put themselves and their career ahead of their children. There is a BIG difference and I want to make sure you don't miss that.

DADS...make NO APOLOGIES for being a man of PURPOSE in being the kind of DAD that is not afraid to teach a boy to be a man and to show a daughter how a TRUE MAN loves a daughter without the fear of any kind of warped abuse. Let me tell you, I can get pretty worked up on this one! Let your children see that you are a DAD that is a great example of a MAN that knows how to love and respect the woman that they call "MOM" as well as all other women. Let them see in you a determination to provide for and protect their precious family. MAKE NO APOLOGIES for allowing your children to see you cry tears of joy as well as sadness. Bottom line: make NO APOLOGIES for BEING A MAN!

(The same is true for women but, hey, since I'm a guy I can speak more boldly and with some idea of what I'm talking about to men!).

Teens...MAKE NO APOLOGY for being one that stands out from the crowd by being one that has determined to focus on being a person of CHARACTER and one that shows respect to your parents, teachers and ALL adults that you come into contact with in your life. MAKE NO APOLOGY for purposing to live a life of honesty and integrity instead of someone that is always looking for the easy way out.

I could go on and on, but I won't. I think you get the point, right?

Decide to live a life of PURPOSE and do so WITHOUT APOLOGY!

And, as you do so, be sure to...

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

Mike

Purpose in Serving

(be sure to check out the podcast on iTunes or on the  RSS feed)

We've already discussed the fact that living a life of SELF is NOT a life of purpose and, more than likely, it is a lonely life.

So, no need to discuss that further, right? Let's move on now to what living a life of purpose DOES consist of in our lives. SERVING OTHERS! I've already talked recently about the importance of taking our eyes off of ourselves and noticing those around us and using our God-given talents and abilities to reach out and help. I've also recently shared the emphasis given in the Bible about not being here to BE served but TO serve.

Please, whatever you do, don't wait until ___________________ (you fill in the blank) happens before you begin to live a life of purpose through serving others. Some are waiting until they get enough money (rich?) to be able to do BIG things before they start. Some are waiting until this and that.....and, all the while, opportunities to serve pass them by every day.

DON'T LET THAT BE YOU!

Don't miss the opportunities you have right before you with your family - especially your children. Let them see - TEACH BY DOING - you involved in serving others and help them learn the importance of living a life of purpose that involves something/someone other than themselves.

Look at those around you - yes, even your coworkers and brainstorm ways that you can PURPOSE your time with them to be a blessing...an ENCOURAGEMENT. On more than once occasion my wife has begun working a new job to be warned about different people (especially in management) that were grumpy and that never smiled. My wife would actually take that on as a challenge with a determination (a PURPOSE) that she would make sure that she talked to them, was kind to them and got them to smile at LEAST once every time she worked. And, guess what? She did and they did. She did what she set out to do and they DID smile at LEAST once while working with her. As a matter of fact, one female manager who was known to be a "sour-puss" got to where she would light up with a smile every time she saw my wife at the start of a shift and she even ended up knitting my wife some sort of a "throw" to be used while lying on the couch or sitting in a chair.

Pretty cool, huh?

Now, on Monday I asked you to be jotting some things down on paper as to what this whole idea of living a life of purpose meant for you in your life. Here's where you can get down to the "meat" of the matter. Make a list of as many people as you can that you normally come into contact with on an average day. Your family, neighbors, co-workers, bosses, garage attendant, your child's school bus driver, teacher, etc. Make as an extensive list as you can and then take a moment and be amazed at how many people you impact each and every day. Then, take some time - maybe do five at a time - and write down how you can PURPOSE to be a blessing in that persons life beginning NOW.

Hey, some of you will, some of you won't but it doesn't change the fact that ALL of you (us) CAN and, quite honestly, SHOULD be seeking ways to serve more.

Yes my friend, there IS purpose in serving. And, if being selfish is a life of loneliness then I would think that SERVING would be a life of happiness!

Check it out. Put it to the test and see what you find to be true. Let me know - I'd love to hear from you!

Join me tomorrow as we continue this discussion but, until then, be sure to...

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

Mike

From "You Can't" to "I DID!"

From "You Can't" to "I Did!"

Who do YOU let decide your future?

Going back to what we talked about yesterday and using the "garbage" of negative thoughts to "fuel the fire of our future pursuits" I want to continue to encourage us all to understand and realize that WE are the ones that determine the value of our lives!

My friend, Mike Magdaleno (http://www.MikeMagdaleno.com) shared a quote by Brian Tracy on one of his Facebook status updates yesterday - "Say no to anything that is not a high-value use of your time and your life." I made a comment that the challenge many times was determining the value of these things in our lives. I loved Mike's comment about that - "Make sure YOU (emphasis mine) determine the value and not outside forces, ego, etc."

Many of us, if not ALL of us, have had others try to determine our value and our worth for us. And, as we all know, they don't hesitate to share with us (dump on us?) their opinion about this matter! Remember the story I used yesterday as the basis of my discussion? "You are an exhibition of failure and all the children in school need to know about you..."

How DARE anyone say that about a child! How DARE anyone say that about ANY other person! And now, may I step on YOUR toes? How DARE you allow it and/or believe it!

Now, I understand that, as a child, you may have felt helpless and intimidated. But what I'm talking about is now that you are an adult. How DARE you allow this in YOUR life!

That's how determined we MUST become in taking control over this most important aspect of our life - OUR WORTH AND VALUE!

If that has happened to you in the past, perhaps as a child, do NOT allow those cruel words to continue to control your life or determine your value and worth. ENOUGH! Understand that NO OTHER HUMAN has the right (or the ability) to determine your worth and/or your value!

If you have those around you in your life now, as an adult, you MUST reject this negative influence by not allowing these harmful words to become a belief in your life AND I would suggest that you strongly consider ridding your life of these people if at all possible.

Friends? I would strongly suggest otherwise.

If you have no way around it, then use this to fuel your future!

Even if you DO have a way around it and you have removed it from your life then you likely still feel the effects of those harmful words. Hey, whoever said "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me" didn't have a CLUE what they were talking about! So, even if this is something from the past, you likely still feel the sting. USE that to fuel your drive for success!

Use the words, "You can't!" to drive you to success where you can say (with pride), "I DID!"

I LOVE THAT, don't you?

Tomorrow we are going to continue with this discussion with examples of others that I know that have had people tell them, "YOU CAN'T". And, guess what? Yup, you guessed it - THEY DID and they STILL ARE doing!

I love it, I love it, I love it!

Hey, whatever you do and wherever you go, be sure to...

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

Mike

My Thoughts on ROLE MODELS

role model - a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, esp. by younger people. (from dictionary.com)

There has been a LOT of discussion over the years concerning this term and exactly WHO and WHO IS NOT to be considered a role model. On the podcast I shared the controversy that surrounded Charles Barkley when he said that he was not, and should not be considered, a role model. This actually happened in 1993 and not in the late 70's or early 80's as I mentioned. (Wow, time DOES fly by!)

I agree with Mr. Barkley when he says that parents should raise their kids and not him, but, like it or not, he was still a role model. Tiger Woods - like it or not - is/was a role model. LeBron James (and the list can go on and on) is a role model whether he wants to be or not.

Some of these athletes, musicians and actors DO realize the huge impact that they have on our young people and they do try to conduct themselves in a way that shows this - but even they make mistakes!

We, as parents, have been a part of this problem. If you haven't done so, go back and listen to yesterday's podcast and read the blog for my discussion of our "Misguided Hero Worship". WE - as parents - must help our children, as they grow, to truly understand and realize who the real heroes are and who the people are that they should actually look to emulate.

People WILL disappoint! People WILL make mistakes! That's just a fact of life and we can use situations like this (the discussions for this week) to help our children and teens understand this. Hey, they will be disappointed in us sooner or later as they begin to get to the age that mom and dad aren't perfect!

Now, if I am going to rant about something on this topic, here it is: The people that claim that they aren't a role model and that they don't want to be a role model yet market themselves to be attractive to young people in order to sell their products. Many of these people will tell you that, yes, they are trying to influence the thinking of our young people - but they don't want to be role models?

YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!

Here's the thing - we are ALL role models to someone or to a lot of people. Scary, huh? But it's true. Yes, if you have children, you are their role model whether they tell you that or not and whether you want to be or not. It just comes with the territory!

Even when you think your kids/teens aren't listening to you - THEY ARE! Even when you think that your kids/teens aren't watching you - THEY ARE! You can be sure of that.

So, what should we take away from this week's discussions?

1. All of us, famous or not, need to take responsibility for our mistakes and stop making excuses. Remember, for every night there is a morning after! Know that and be prepared to face the consequences when we choose to make unwise decisions.

2. We all need to stop saturating our lives with the media's overkill on any and every subject. Is it really profitable for us to spend THAT much time listening and watching this stuff?

3. Let's all pay attention to and honor the REAL HEROES that surround us everyday and not allow the media to get our attention off of these people. Just because someone is famous and/or rich does NOT make them a hero!

4. Be a role model and help your children pay attention to those people around them that are appropriate role models for them. Again, just because someone is famous and/or rich does not mean that they are someone to emulate.

Again, all of this comes down to a choice - OUR CHOICE on what we allow into our homes and our heads. It's up to YOU to control this and to help teach your children this value for their own lives.

Think about it and...

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

Mike