The RICHEST Place in the World

If you haven't done so, be sure and go back to the last article that I posted entitled, "Live Full and Die Empty". It goes "hand in hand" with this article and the thoughts included in this article. 

After you have read it (maybe you need to "refresh" even if you have already read it), then look at this very somber - but TRUE - statement made below... 

""The richest place in the world is the graveyard.
You know why?
Because in the graveyard, you will find...
Inventions never invented
Books never written
Ideas never nurtured - And dreams never lived."

"Remember Your Dream" by "Motivational Instinct" CLICK HERE to watch on youtube 

Like I said with the last article, I don't want to die with regrets. I don't want to die with things left undone that I had opportunity to GET done.

Now then, chances are, if I have goals and dreams that I am constantly and consistently working towards then there WILL be some things left "undone" but, my friend (and this is a very important point!) I will have left this earth MOVING TOWARDS something MORE in and for my life! That, in my opinion, would qualify as "dying EMPTY" with NO REGRETS!

For ALL of us...for you and for me...the ONLY way that we can accomplish this is by doing all we can TODAY! 

In the Bible, the writer of the book of Hebrews (or the letter that he wrote to the church there) needed to help the Christians there "stay together" and help each other remain strong in their faith. In Hebrews 3:13 he emphasizes this by saying, "but exhort (encourage) one another daily, while it is called “Today...”

Notice he said to do it DAILY but - don't put it off - do it while it is still called "TODAY".  

Listen friend, I'll say it again: The ONLY way that we can accomplish living our lives fully and leaving no regrets is by doing all we can TODAY!

One way that helps tremendously (the writer of Hebrews refers to it as well later on in chapter 10 in verses 24 and 25) is based on those that make up our "circle". 

We'll talk about that part of the picture in the next article.

Until then, remember...

YOU'RE HERE FOR A REASON and, 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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Regret NOTHING

To a large extent, one of the worse things a person can do is to have REGRETS when they come to the end of their life.

Now, to be honest, I'm not sure that it's possible to live life in such a way that we won't all have SOME regrets - I'm not sure that's even humanly possible. However, we CAN do all that we can to keep those down to as few as possible

And, yes, we CAN do that!

As you get ready to read this article (be sure to listen to the podcast on this as well by clicking on one of the links at the bottom of this article), I want to get you to do something first. Do NOT focus on the things that you have or haven't done in your past up to this point. As I talk about this topic in this article, I want you to approach this as starting with a "clean slate" at this very moment. Make sense? 

Hey listen, we cannot go back and undo what we have done in the past. Yes, we can try to live in such a way that may help heal relationships and "mend fences" that were harmed by our actions, but we cannot go back and relive them. So, START FRESH today and dedicate yourself to doing less that would bring regret into your life. 

I was watching a video the other day talking about this very thing. It stated something that I believe is true - it stated that most people, at the end of their life, don't have regrets concerning things that they did but, rather, they have regrets about things that they did NOT do.

Do you want to know how to avoid that from happening in your own life? Here ya' go....get ready...STOP talking about it and START doing it!

Oversimplified, right?

Seriously, what is it that you are waiting for? If you are waiting for the "perfect" time to do whatever it is that you want to do then, guess what? IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN? Because, friend, that perfect time will NEVER come!

It's like when I hear a married couple say that they are going to wait until they can "afford it" before they have children. Uh, spoiler alert...that's never going to happen! ;)

I understand the thought behind such a statement and approach but it's the same approach that we make when planning on waiting before we actually DO things that we want to do in and for our life. 

Too many of us wait until something happens to where we find out that we have a short period of time left to live. Then it's "hurry up and get it done" before time runs out. 

Hey, listen, this article is for me, too!

So, again, the "cure" for this is to STOP TALKING and START DOING and to START DOING it TODAY!

Today. Now. Not later.

Now, just for fun, I want to share a couple of pictures with you of a couple of people (and, oh, there are many, many more that I could have shared) that made the bold decision to make a decision concerning living life with no regrets. The problem is that they did it with a tattoo and...well...take a look for yourself and enjoy the laugh.

Ironically, I'm sure there was plenty of R-E-G-R-E-T to go around on both of these, don't you?

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

Living Today in COLOR!

 

Today is "FUN FRIDAY"! Find a reason to SMILE and to SHARE that smile with others!

So, today is Friday...how long have you been waiting for today? How long have you been "hanging on" until FRIDAY? How many times do you find yourself on MONDAY already looking forward to FRIDAY? Songs have been written and sung emphasizing this type of mentality but I really want to ask you to consider this: DON'T YOU THINK YOU ARE WISHING YOUR DAYS AWAY WHEN YOU DO SO?

I once heard a young lady state at around 6:00 a.m., "I can't WAIT for this day to be over!" Are you kidding me? The day hadn't even really begun and she was already wishing it was over? She had apparently already decided for herself that it was going to be a TERRIBLE day and, according to her way of thinking, there was absolutely NOTHING she could do about it except wish for the end of that day.

Friend, that is truly sad in my opinion.

STOP living your life in the "grey" and "hum-drum" existence that so many find themselves in and START living your life in COLOR and experience each day FULL OF LIFE!

Do you remember in the movie, "The Wizard of Oz" how the first part of the movie was filmed in black and white but, upon Dorothy's arrival in the magical land of Oz, the movie was then shown in beautiful color? It was done that way for a reason! It was MAGICAL...it was NEW and VIBRANT and offered so much for this young lady that she had never experienced before. Isn't it time YOU stepped out of the world of "black and white" and started living YOUR life in VIBRANT COLOR?

In case you're having a hard time answering that question, let me be of assistance..."Uh, YEAH!"

Oh, by the way, there IS a reason I have a picture of a watch at the top of this blog. This is the watch that I found before Christmas that caught my eye. Very seldom is there anything that I really want for Christmas or my birthday or Father's Day and it is a bit frustrating to my wife... understandably so. But, when I saw this watch it "spoke" to me and I almost bought it on the spot since it was right there and available. However, I decided I'd wait, tell my wife about it, show her a picture of it on-line and then let her get it for me so it could actually be "from her". We stopped by a couple of stores in other towns before Christmas so she could pick it up and wrap it for me but we never could find THAT particular watch in the other stores! So, finally, we went ahead and ordered it on-line so that it could be shipped to the store in our hometown and we could pick it up when it arrived. Due to our crazy schedule right now it came in about 10 days before we could get to it and, FINALLY, we were able to pick it up the other day - this "Christmas present" near the end of January - at our local store.

We were both excited since we had been waiting so long and I actually had found something I wanted. Isn't that watch BEAUTIFUL? You see, blue is my color and that watch just caught my eye the moment I first saw it. I excitedly opened the box to only be disappointed. Why? Because the watch they sent was NOT the watch I ordered. The one I ordered looked like the one pictured above and the one they sent had the face color of what you see above if it was shown in black and white. In other words it was a dark grey trim with a light grey center. YUCK! When I took it back to the lady inside I told her about the problem and laughing I said, "That's like ordering a color t.v. and getting one in black and white!" (Oh, by the way, we did end up driving back to the ORIGINAL store where I first saw the watch and picked it up - YAY!)

Sure, I could have settled for the one I didn't order since it had taken so long - BUT I DIDN'T WANT THE UGLY, COLORLESS WATCH! I wanted the one that was beautiful, vibrant and colorful!

STOP settling for living a life of "drab existence" and begin to live and experience a life in LIVING COLOR!

So much is being offered to you today that we often pass up because we have settled for "drab" instead of "VIBRANCY" in our lives! Don't wish away the day or the week - take advantage of all that this day has to offer you! GRAB every ounce of LIFE out of this day, squeeze every ounce of life out of every second of this day! 

WHY? Because once this second, minute, hour and day is gone - IT IS GONE FOREVER and it CANNOT ever be recovered, relived or replaced. Gone. 

So, as is always the case - the choice is yours. What will YOU do with what you have...TODAY? As you go through your day, always remember to...  

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

Mike

What's Killing YOU?

It's "TURN-AROUND TUESDAY!" Stop whining and start turning things around!"

In yesterday's blog and podcast we talked about the phrase, "Curiosity killed the cat." and then made some applications about what that cat likely "accomplished" along the way. If you haven't had the chance, be sure to read the blog and also listen to the podcast that you can find here:(http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739)

Now I want us to think about the other side of this topic by taking a good look at our own lives and our curiosity OR lack of curiosity and what that means for us on a daily basis.

Why the picture of the dog at the top? Hey, I LOVE dogs (well, MOST dogs) and have had several in my lifetime. But, it has always tickled me when I've seen a dog that was so lazy or uninterested (another way to say, "had no curiosity") to the point that you could bounce a tennis ball right up to them and they just look at you like, "Yawn!"

Many times dogs that do that don't do much of ANYTHING and, likely, they are either OLD and disinterested OR are very much out of shape DUE TO their lack of curiosity.

And that brings us to talking about us - you and me. Have you lost your sense of curiosity or do you still have the spark within that makes you want to keep learning and doing?

Think about this: if all of our great inventors had not had that sense of curiosity, what would our world be like today? I can tell you this - it would be a very DIFFERENT world! Very likely you wouldn't be reading this blog article on your computer or smart phone and I wouldn't have even been able to publish this blog in the first place! Computers, the internet, keyboards, electricity, phones, cell phones, phone lines, "wireless" capabilities and on and on we could go.

Aren't you glad there have always been curious people in our world?

Now, what about YOU? Have you lost your sense of curiosity? Let's get straight to the point here (and be sure to listen to the podcast for more thoughts on this topic): If you've lost your sense of curiosity then you are on your way OUT! That's right, curiosity may have killed the cat but LACK OF CURIOSITY WILL KILL YOU. Count on it.

Wake up. Begin to live again. Get curious!

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

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

Mike

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?" - Part 2

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?"

(Part 2)

"TRULY LIVING INVOLVES RISK!"

Don't you just love that picture? That little mouse is about to take a risk! But, if you'll notice, he has PREPARED to take that risk (see his helmet?) and he (or maybe "she") has decided that the REWARD (the cheese) is worth the RISK (possible death!).

As the subtitle says, "TRULY LIVING INVOLVES RISK!".

But, are YOU willing to take the risk? If so, are you PREPARED for the risk? And, have you decided if the RISK is actually worth the REWARD?

Only you can answer these questions, right? But, I can try to give you some things to think about as you DO consider your answers.

First of all, I'm thinking that a life void of all risks would definitely fit into the category of "merely existing". What would you say?

You likely have seen this displayed with how some parents "over-protect" their kids. You've seen it, haven't you? I have watched (very uncomfortably, I might add) as some parents have "blocked the way" of their children even coming CLOSE to any possible "risk" as they tried to play.

But there was no playing to be done! Why? Because once all the risk was removed there was actually nothing to do. Think about that.

If you want to learn to ride a bike then understand this...there is RISK involved! There is the risk that you may fall over and crash. Actually, it's not a risk - it's pretty much a certainty. Some parents will not allow their child to entertain this risk and, by doing so, ROB them of the joy of peddling that bike with the wind blowing in their face.

It has been said that, by doing all that we can to eliminate germs around our kids, we have actually weakened our children's immune systems. They actually NEED some germs so that their body can build up a proper defense to them.

I was friends with a young lady when I was in college that, quite honestly, came from a different background than I did. I'm not a "fancy" person... never have been and I don't see myself ever becoming that way. What do I mean by "fancy"?

Now, before I share with you this example, please DO NOT be offended if you enjoy this type of scenario in your life. All I'm saying is this: it's not my style!

Anyway, she was describing to me her "dream house" and she was even "walking" me through the rooms of the house and describing how they were set up and how they looked in her mind. She told me of one room that have very nice furniture in it which consisted of a couple of nice chairs, a couch, coffee table and a few other things. Now, to me, she had already told me about her "living room" that had couches and chairs in it and I asked her what was the purpose of having another room so similar. If I remember right she called this second room a "sitting room" and I, being a bit sarcastic said, "So, what...you just are going to come in here and sit?" to which she replied, "Oh no! No one will sit on this furniture. It's really more to just look at!"

I wish I could tell you that I was polite and tactful but that would be stretching the truth a bit. Remember, I said I was sarcastic and, true to form, I simply laughed at her and told her that the thought of such a thing was just plain silly!

Now again, please don't be offended if you have a "sitting room" that no one is allowed to sit in but, to me, in my "non-fancy" world it just doesn't make much sense.

Why have furniture if no one is allowed to sit on it and use it?

To me, this is a perfect illustration of living a life without risk - you are merely existing. You are "here" but nothing is happening and you are not "using" your life for it's intended purpose.

Just look at that last sentence again and notice the words, "your life". We use the word, "life" to describe what we have as our existence on this earth yet, too many times, we miss the essence found in that word... LIFE!

Think about it as I share with you one other quote from the movie, "Tuck Everlasting" that I will use in my concluding thoughts on this topic in tomorrows thoughts...

"Don't be afraid of death, but rather be afraid of the unlived life."

Until then...

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

Mike

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?" (Part 1)

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?"

(Part 1)

If you haven't done so, be sure to check out the video and/or audio version of today's thoughts because I want to do EVERYTHING I can to help you NEVER, EVER forget to LIVE each and every day that you have.

Why?

Because, once gone, the day is gone forever.

So, wouldn't you agree that it's time to start LIVING? Today?

In the movie, "Tuck Everlasting", the dad who has remained the same age for years after drinking from the "fountain of youth" has a discussion with the young lady who stumbled upon the family and their secret.

He talks about how people would flock to this "magic stream" so that they, too, could live forever. But, as he continues on, living forever is not all it's cracked up to be.

He tells the young lady that she will continue to grow and change and experience life as she goes through the different stages of her life and, eventually, she will die having LIVED a full life. This was something that he and his family had missed out on. Nothing ever changed. They never grew older and were limited in the experiences that they could actually participate in due to their immortality.

Here's the point friend: When you are ALIVE and GROWING you are also CHANGING and EXPERIENCING what life has to offer - both good AND bad!

You see, this goes hand in hand with the discussion that we had about "When the Going Gets Tough..." in my last series. Life is made up of good AND rough times, laughter AND tears.

Yes, it would be great (or so we think) to experience nothing but happiness. My guess is that we know not that for which we ask in thinking such a thought.

But, hey, we're human. I know I often wish the tough times would disappear.

But, even in the midst of those tough times, I MUST realize that it is PROOF that I am LIVING, GROWING and CHANGING due to the experiences that come with living a full life.

It's not always easy, is it?

Stop living afraid. Stop living a life of fear or a life that tries so hard to avoid any displeasure that it simply ceases to experience ANYTHING - including life itself.

Stop existing. Start living. Today.

Until next time...

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

Mike

Merely Existing OR Truly Living? (Introduction)

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?"

(Introduction)

My thoughts for the podcast/videocast and blog articles on this topic came from me once again watching the movie "Tuck Everlasting".

You can see more about this movie here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuck_Everlasting_%282002_film%29

In a nutshell a family finds that "living forever" and never getting any older is not always what it is "cracked up" to be. Never experiencing the changes and growth that comes with "normal" LIVING is not always something to be skipped.

Yet, we all struggle with that very thing, don't we? We want to SKIP the hard times (go back to all of the past couple of weeks articles and podcasts on "Tough Times") and just live the good.

Wouldn't it be great if that were really possible?

Perhaps. But, then again, maybe not.

Here's the deal: that is NOT happening anytime soon - if ever - in our lifetime so we might as well figure out how to handle what comes our way as we LIVE life!

Yes, that means the good AND the bad.

Wow, that's not always easy to swallow, is it? As they say, sometimes "the truth hurts"!

Here is a quote from the movie that I used in the podcast/videocast for today that I want to share with you here:

"You don't have to live forever - just be sure to live."

Think about that as you go through your day.

Are you merely EXISTING or have you found out how to TRULY live?

Think about that and join me again tomorrow for the next installment of this thought process.

Until then...

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

Mike

http://www.michaelspillman.com/

Ruts and Roadblocks

Ruts and Roadblocks

How would you like to see THAT scene before you as you try to make progress on a trip? If you DID come across this then you would obviously have to make some alternative plans in order to continue on your journey.

This major roadblock was caused by a mudslide - something completely out of our hands. It wasn't anything YOU caused and there wasn't anything YOU could do to prevent it from happening. But it DID happen and, because of that, if you were on a journey and encountered this road block then you would have to make some decisions regardless of how and why it happened.

Does that ever happen to you in your life? You do understand that I'm not talking about a boulder blocking an actual highway, right? But has your life ever met up with some sort of roadblock that you had no way to control or prevent? What did you do?

Let's talk about ruts for a moment. A lot of you have HEARD about ruts but I wonder how many of you have ever actually encountered ruts while driving. It could be a rut that has been made on a snow-covered road or it could be a rut that has been carved out in a mud-packed road. Either way, ruts can cause problems for the one trying to navigate down such a road!

You can stay in a rut but you really aren't deciding which direction your automobile will go - you just stay in the rut and follow the same path as others before you. If you give just a little effort to get out of the rut you will not have much success! The deeper the rut the harder it is to get OUT of that rut!

Now, let's again apply that to our actual lives. Sometimes we get in a rut that we have carved out ourselves, don't we? We've just fallen into going through the same motions day in and day out until we have carved out a nice little rut for ourselves.

Living IN a rut is really pretty easy! After a while you don't really have to give much thought to what you are doing - just stay in the rut and do the same thing today that you did yesterday and the day before and the day before that!

Maybe you've fallen into a rut that someone else (or several someones) have carved out. You have fallen into this rut and have given in to the "path of least resistance". "Hey, this is not so bad! I just follow the crowd and don't do anything different and I can just glide right along!"

Not a bad way to live if you want to live life like a robot.

So, what if you realize that you are in a rut and you don't WANT to stay in that rut? What then?

Ruts and roadblocks - they happen to all of us.

I shared with you on today's podcast that I feel that I have faced a roadblock and that I am in a rut RIGHT NOW! I have acknowledged that even a couple of weeks ago but it seems that I'm still here staring at that roadblock and trying to look out and over that rut.

Wow. You too?

So, how did we get here? You see, to me, this is the second most important thing we can do as far as "ruts and roadblocks" go. First, we must realize we are there and it's not where we want to be and then we must try to figure out how we got here!

Sometimes, with the roadblocks - as the example shared above - it really has nothing to do with us, it just happened! That's the way life is sometimes! We can either sit there in despair and just give up OR we can plan an alternate route so that we can continue on our journey!

But, there are SOME roadblocks that we have placed before ourselves. How did THAT happen? It's very important for us to take a close look at this and try to "pin-point" exactly HOW it happened so that we can now do the "opposite" in order to "undo" the roadblock.

This ain't easy! (Pardon my southern slant on that line.)

Chances are - and chances are really good - that it didn't happen overnight (with the "we put it there" variety of roadblock). And, that being so, our "pin-pointing" won't happen overnight either. We'll get back to this in a moment and combine it with the "rut problem" as well.

How do you get out of a rut? WITH A LOT OF EFFORT!

Anyone that has encountered a physical rut - especially a deep one - can tell you that it takes MAJOR effort to get out of (and stay out of) a rut! Remember, the deeper the rut the harder it is to get out OF that rut!

How deep is your rut? Have you caught this before it got too deep or will you need some major climbing gear just to peek over the top of your rut?

The same is true for ruts as it is for roadblocks - we MUST figure out how we got here!

How do we do that with ruts and roadblocks?

THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION.

What is DIFFERENT now than it was before?

Has the joy, energy and happiness been sucked from your life? Why? How? When did it happen?

Go back in time and try to "pin-point" a time when you actually felt the way you think you want to feel now. When were you happy? When did you feel as if you had positive and powerful energy in your life?

Take a snapshot if you will of "then" and one of "now" - what's different?

Go through a process of elimination with both the rut and the roadblock and try to determine what changed in your life in such a way that caused you to follow that path that led you to where you are today.

Take how ever long it takes to try to figure it out. Write down what you find as you go along. You likely will find SEVERAL things that have changed and not just one!

We are going to talk more about this tomorrow and also we will talk about what we do once we pin-point the problem.

But know this, friend - YOU CAN OVERCOME THIS and you CAN get out of your rut and you CAN get around, over or through that roadblock whether you caused it or life just dumped it there.

YES, YOU CAN!

Know that. Believe that. Feel that.

And, as you go through your day...

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

Mike

Learning Life's Adventure Lesson

Learning Life's Adventure Lesson

(Yeah, the type/font is going to be a little different because I want this to look more like something you'd do for a class -- will it work? Eh, who knows?)

This week we have been talking about the fact that life is an adventure! That being so, we must understand that the word "adventure" does not always mean "enjoyable". Let me remind you that the adventures we see people participate in usually have the "exhilaration factor" highlighted and you usually don't see the struggle aspect.

Sometimes you do, and I'm thankful for those programs that show the good, the bad AND the ugly of an adventure!

Too many times we wistfully watch a television program and think about how wonderful it would be "IF ONLY" we could have such an adventure in our life!

So, DO something about it.

That's right. If you want to live a life of adventure then DO it!

You see, you don't have to go climb a high mountain in a foreign country or travel around the world to have an adventure. Sure, it'd be quite an adventure to be able to do those things but, my friend, GET THIS POINT - adventure is awaiting you each and every day right where you are! Are you willing to take the risk (the good, bad AND the ugly) that comes with it?

And, yes, trying to figure out how you're going to survive when you have several mouths to feed and you just lost your job IS an adventure. Sure, it's one we'd rather not have to live through - but, regardless, it IS an adventure.

"Oh wait, that's not the kind of adventure I was talking about when I said I wish I had some adventure in my life."

Sorry. Too bad. It happens anyway, doesn't it?

Without repeating myself too much please understand that you CAN survive. The proof comes in the fact that either YOU have survived before or you know others that have done so. So, YES, either you can do it AGAIN or realize that you, too, CAN survive and make it through this "adventure" in your life.

You will hear - my guess is 100% of the time - those that experience these extreme adventures in their life talk about what they learned about themselves in the process. I'd guess that if you go through such a thing and you DON'T learn some important lessons about yourself - you probably died along the way!

But not before you learned something.

The example I used in today's podcast was this: "If you're going to have your heart ripped out due to losing a loved one, why not - WHY NOT - try to learn something through the process?"

Again, perhaps we learned not to take people for granted, or the day for granted. Perhaps we learned the value of telling those close to you that you love them as often as possible. But, learn SOMETHING! And, the thing is, whether you actually realize it or not, you DO learn something from life's adventure struggles.

If you are currently involved in a "life adventure", take a moment and ask yourself a.) what you ARE learning and, b.) what you NEED to learn in the process.

If you are struggling financially perhaps ask yourself what you NEED to learn so that you can prevent this from being a recurring cycle in your life.

THIS IS IMPERATIVE if we are going to not only survive but also THRIVE in this adventure we call life!

You can do it and you CAN grow and learn as you encounter life's adventures.

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

Mike

What Will It Take? (Part 2)

What Will It Take? (Part 2)

Do you REALLY want to have a "HAPPY" New Year?

The DO something! That's right - make a choice, make a decision and then carry that out with ACTION!

Have you ever considered how many people die with their dreams left as just that - dreams? Have you ever considered how many plans are left undone when someone dies? Now, honestly, I hope to live my life in such a way that I NEVER fully complete all of the things that I'd like to accomplish BUT...we both know what I'm talking about here, right?

Stop living life in such a way that you will one day (and that day is getting closer and closer) look back with regret and say, "You know, I sure wish I had done something with those plans I had."

What a sad thing to have to say.

Is that thought enough to push you to action? Again, WHAT WILL IT TAKE?

Hey, we're in this thing together - I believe that and I hope that you, too, also believe that and know that!

Hey, here is an article that I wrote almost a year ago - in February of 2009 - that I think really "speaks" to what I'm trying to say here with this thought. Enjoy it and GET READY TO JUMP!

JUMP OUT OF THE PLANE ALREADY!

The last two Sunday evenings I have watched a television show with my family - especially my youngest son - that features a bunch of "nuts" (yup, that's what I called them!) that do all kinds of crazy stunts like jumping tricycles on ramps, riding motorcycles into the water and riding them on top of the water as far as they can, jumping out of planes --- without a parachute (allowing someone else to come to them and pull THEIR chute! )and all other kinds of things.

Now, these guys (and one gal) are all professionals at what they do. They make tons of money and, yes, they live life on the edge!

I call them "nuts" because I think they're crazy. But then, I think again. You may not agree with me but try to follow my train of thought anyway, o.k.? They are living life TO THE FULL and LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY! Oh, I know that maybe it's not EVERY minute - but you get the idea.

They are not living their lives wondering "what if" in anything. What a way to live! My wife thinks it would be awesome to jump out of an airplane. Me? I'm scared of heights BUT I think if I could get past the initial shock, it might be pretty cool. The problem is - if I have a heart attack and die due TO that initial shock - so much for the thrill the rest of the way, right?

BUT HERE'S MY POINT...We may not all be able to literally jump out of an airplane. But....what is it you and I need to do TODAY that will be - for us in our everyday lives - like jumping out of an airplane?

WE LIVE OUR LIVES TOO COMFORTABLY AND SECURELY and we MUST change that and LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL!

I have lived too many years (and allowed too many years to go by) with regret. They are gone. I cannot get them back. BUT I can do something about the time I have NOW!

I am going to push myself to JUMP OUT OF THE PLANE ALREADY! Enough of the hanging around thinking about it. Enough of the "wondering". Enough of the self-defeating talk that keeps me from stepping out and going for it.

IT'S TIME TO JUMP!!!!! It's like a speaker I heard this past summer at a conference say, "Jump and develop your wings on the way down!". WOW!

Are you following me here? What is it for you? PUSH, SHOVE, KICK yourself out of your COMFORT ZONE and JUMP!!!

I want today to end with the thought of, "WOW! What an AMAZING DAY! I can't believe I did that!"

Anyone ready to strap on their " 'chute" and join me?

On the count of 3.......

1......

2.......

-------------------and, as always,

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

Mike