The Joy of GIVING

I remember well the time that my Mom tried to convince me that it was "more blessed to give than to receive". I don't remember my age but, based on where we were living it was sometime from 2nd grade or earlier and, at that stage in my life, I wasn't buying that idea. Not even close!

Now, obviously, as I have gotten older and have had children of my own, I absolutely DO understand and agree with that sentiment. I DO understand and believe that there is JOY in giving!

I'm not trying to brag when I say this (and, likely, many of you are the same way) but, I'd much rather GIVE someone a gift that really puts a smile on their face than RECEIVE a gift. Anytime. 

Here's the thing, friend. You don't have to go out and BUY someone a gift in order to GIVE and to receive JOY by doing so! Don't let the idea of "but I don't have any money" hold you back. Giving is not about money or what you can buy in a store. GIVING, at it's best and purest form, is about you sharing what you have the ability to share because you know it will help someone and/or make that person happy. 

It could be something as simple as time. Spending time with someone and just visiting and sharing the gift of YOU listening and enjoying the relationship that you have with that person. By the way, you don't even have to know the person for this to take place. I can promise you this - there are a LOT of people in your local nursing home that would love for someone - ANYONE - to just spend some time with them to brighten up their day. And, friend, that "someone" can be you. 

It could be a short, handwritten note that simply expresses appreciation or encouragement to someone. 

If you are continuously adding to your "positive mindset" then you have a LOT that can be shared. No, I'm not suggesting that you "preach" these thoughts and ideas to those around you and try to tell them that this is what THEY should be doing. But, rather, simply sharing your positive mindset as a way to uplift and encourage would be a gift worth sharing. 

What is it for you? What opportunity comes your way (maybe on a daily basis) to share and GIVE to those around you?

Think about it. And, try to get in the habit of doing so at other times besides this "special" time of the year. Make it a daily habit and see what happens to and for your life!

I am thankful that I have the opportunity to share this blog and podcast with you. I hope that it is a source of encouragement for you and to you and that it helps you in your daily activities. 

And, finally, never forget that YOU are a gift worth sharing. Think about it and share your talents and abilities with those around you and discover, as well, that there IS joy in giving!

Until next time friend, whatever you do, be sure to...

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

Mike

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H.O.P.E. Enjoy)

 (Please be sure to read the previous three articles in this series if you've not done so).

 

Well, here we are. In the United States, today is being celebrated as "Thanksgiving Day" and I hope you are with family and friends having a great time.

 

To close out this special "Thanksgiving Week" series, I wanted to encourage you to ENJOY life and all that it has to offer.

 

If you will consider and put into action the things that we have discussed in the past few articles then, by investing and opening yourself up to others, you will begin to enjoy life on a whole new level.

 

We all need to stop "stressing out" over everyone doing everything right all of the time or doing it the way WE want it done all of the time. (Yes, I know there are times that it is important.)

 

People are not perfect. YOU are not perfect! My guess is that, you want people to practice patience and forgiveness with you, right? Then, learn to practice and offer that same patience and forgiveness with those around you.

 

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31; The Bible)

 

So, friend, open up your heart to life and to others and live out your purpose in life...OTHERS! And, as you do so, ENJOY every minute of it

 

And, from my family to yours...

 





 

 

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H.O.P.E. (Purpose)

(If you've not done so, please read the previous two articles in this series...they are all connected!)

 

 

PURPOSE:

If you've read the previous two articles then, hopefully, you've figured out that your PURPOSE is PEOPLE.

 

That's right. Once you begin to allow yourself to open your heart and your life to others, you will begin to experience life as life was meant to be experienced...ALIVE and CONNECTED!

 

Many people struggle with their "purpose in life" and spend countless days, weeks and even years struggling with that thought. Some even spend countless dollars trying to discover this purpose. Hey, I just saved you lots of time and money!

 

YOUR PURPOSE IS PEOPLE!

 

We're all here together and we're all here for one another. We are all part of the HUMAN race (you ARE human, right?) and, that alone, connects us all.

 

When you close yourself off to others, you rob the world of who you are! You rob the world of your personality and everything else that you offer to this world.

 

Yes, I hear some of you saying, "But what about me? What about MY goals and what I am trying to achieve?" My guess is that you have heard this quote from Zig Ziglar before, haven't you?

 



"You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want,"

 

Just relax and care about others...serve others...be interested in others. Just relax and do that and see what happens in and for your life.

 

Some people call it "karma" and some use the phrase (good or bad), "What goes around, comes around."

 

Regardless of what you decide to call it, it's a true way of life and, friend, I want to encourage you to fulfill your PURPOSE for your life.

 

Even though I may not know you, I - for one - am glad that you are a part of this thing called the "human race".

 

Until next time...

 

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

 

Mike

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H.O.P.E. (Others)

 

If you've not done so, take a few minutes and read the last blog article which introduces the ideas that I had for this series. Read the article it self, as well, so that you can see how these all connect together.

 

OTHERS: 

Friend, we live in a world of PEOPLE. You just can't get around that fact, can you? Oh, I know, there are times that you may wish that it wasn't that way and you may even fantasize about being on some deserted island somewhere, completely isolated from people and all of the problems that go along with them.

 

But, you know what? It wouldn't be long before you began to MISS being around people! Why? Because we were MADE to be around and with other people! That's right, friend.

 

But, many times, we allow the frustrations with people to cause us to "close up" our hearts (see the last article) in order to protect ourselves. But, what actually happens when we attempt to do that, is that we actually hurt ourselves.

 

We become "less human" to some extent and life begins to take a downward spiral.

 

I want to encourage you to OPEN UP and APPRECIATE others! Remember, you are here for a reason and, along with YOU, your world (as well as the world as a whole) is made up of all kinds of different people with different talents, traits and personalities.

 

We're not all alike. AREN'T YOU GLAD?

 

Sure, you're not going to "click" with everyone but, at the same time, if you will allow yourself to "open up" to others, you will likely develop a new level of patience and understanding with those around you.

 

Finally, when you open yourself up to others you also SHARE YOURSELF with others and, friend, that's a good thing, too.

 

This is not just called a "race"...it's called the "HUMAN race".

 

Open up to others and share a part of who  YOU are. Not only will you be glad that you did, but the world will be glad that you did as well.

 

Until next time...

 

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

 

Mike

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H.O.P.E. (Heart)

 

 

In the United States, this is "Thanksgiving Week". Thanksgiving Day will be celebrated on Thursday of this week and, many families will be gathering together at various points during this week to spend time together.

 

I wanted to do a special series for this week as a way to encourage and uplift you even if you are not able to spend time with friends and family this week. I also wanted to do this even if it's not celebrated as Thanksgiving Day where you live.  They will be short and to the point but I hope that they will be beneficial to you as you read. Be sure to listen to the podcasts as well by clicking on one of the links at the bottom of this article.

 

HEART:

I simply want to encourage you to "open" up your heart to those around you. I understand that, at times, it's difficult to deal with people - even family - when they disappoint you and let you down. I also understand that people can be very frustrating and that, at times, you can even feel anger toward them.

 

When that happens it becomes easy to "close up" in order to avoid the hurt and confrontation. It becomes easy to feel that the best way to "protect" yourself is by isolating yourself (both physically and emotionally) from others.

 

Hey, you can't get hurt, frustrated and/or disappointed if you aren't connected or involved in relationships, right?

 

WRONG!

 

Whether you are involved in relationships or not, you will STILL experience hurt, frustration and/or disappointment in someone, somewhere in some way! It is literally impossible for that NOT to be true, unless, of course, you completely isolate yourself from all human contact.

 

But, you don't want that, right?

 

Friend, do not close yourself off. Open up your heart to live and, yes, even to love. It doesn't have to be a "romantic" love to qualify as love. Will you get hurt? Maybe. Will you be disappointed? Probably. Frustrated? Most likely.

 

But, at the same time, you will become connected and you will begin to experience LIFE in the way that you were designed to experience it...CONNECTED TO OTHERS!

 

You will learn and develop the ability to handle the disappointments as well as any possible hurt or frustration that you may encounter. You will become a stronger person and, I believe, a happier person when you allow yourself to be OPEN to life.

 

Open up your heart and become a part of the world in which you live.

 

You'll be glad you did!

 

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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Be a GIVER!

Don't forget, it's "Turn-Around Tuesday!" Stop complaining and start making the CHANGES necessary to turn your life around beginning TODAY!

Today I want to continue my thoughts on #5 of my "7 Life-Changing, Life-Directing, Powerful Daily Affirmations" which is, "Be a GIVER NOT A TAKER!"

In yesterday's blog article I discussed the negative side of this equation - being a TAKER. If you haven't done so, be sure to go back and read the article as well as listen to the podcast that goes along with it (iTunes = http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739  OR RSS feed = http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml ).

Today I want to focus on the POSITIVE side of this equation and one that all of us can improve on each and every day - "BE A GIVER!"

Giving - for the most part - seems to go against our "human nature". Read yesterday's article and see what I mean. For whatever reason it seems that we are born with this sense of "mine" and "me". So, the bottom line is this - BEING SELFISH IS EASY and being SELFLESS is HARD and takes DISCIPLINE!

The truth is this: anything that goes against the "norm" is not easy but, when it comes to improving your life and the lives of those around you, it IS worth the effort. Isn't it?

Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 20: 25b-28... "...but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Again, this goes against everything that we are "fed" from early childhood and it IS hard to combat but combat it we MUST! We can also read in the last part of Acts 20:35... "...And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”. I KNOW you've heard that one before, right? And, the one that we have labeled as "The Golden Rule" can be found in Matthew 7:12... (paraphrase from different translations) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Some, thinking it humorous, have taken this "golden rule" and have changed it up to things such as, "Do to unto others and then RUN!" or "Do unto others before they have a chance to do unto you!". And, yes, it IS a little humorous but, the fact that so many live by THESE versions of the "golden rule" really is a bit sad.

I believe it was  Zig Ziegler that said, "If you help enough people get what they want, you'll get what you want." (or some very similar quote). Have YOU tried this?

Why not start TODAY putting this theory to the test? Why not put this to the test EXPECTING NOTHING in return, and see what happens?

Why not do this for ANYBODY and EVERYBODY that you come into contact today? Why not do this, not only for your boss, but also for the person that drops your mail off at your desk or empties your trash at night while you are gone?

"Be a GIVER, not a TAKER!".

Easier said than done but well worth the effort!

Until next time, be sure to...

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

Don't Be a TAKER

Today is "Magical Monday"...isn't it time YOU created a little 'magic' in YOUR day?

Today I will continue going through my "7 Life-Changing, Life-Directing, Powerful Daily Affirmations" by discussing #5: "I AM A GIVER - not a taker!"

Now, if you haven't done so, be sure to go back to last week's blog articles and podcast to catch up with the first four and - specifically - the very first, foundational principle/building block affirmation. THIS IS A MUST in order for the others to really have any validity, purpose or focus.

We have grown so accustomed to the idea that "the customer is always right" and "Have it YOUR way" that we have begun to think that WE are the MOST IMPORTANT person in the universe and that the whole universe revolves around us as a result. Uh...here's your wake up call = NOT TRUE!

I honestly get really tired of watching people - kids, teens and even adults - that seem to live their lives really believing that they ARE actually the center of the universe. Seriously, it's quite sickening!

Sometimes it begins when parents - as parents do - just "ooh and ahhh" over their precious little ones. Hey, there is nothing wrong with that! I have a precious little granddaughter that is the apple of my eye and I will proudly tell anyone that will listen -- sometimes even if they AREN'T listening! But, the problem starts when this never stops. Make sense?

When our children continue to be told that they are so special to the point that we give them the idea that they are better than everyone else and when we keep giving them stuff and stuff and stuff then, guess what? They begin to BELIEVE it and EXPECT it! And, some people NEVER grow past that and end up STILL believing and expecting that even as adults.

I said the following to a group of teens not too long ago: "You can tell how focused on self a person is by listening to how many times they say 'I' or 'me' in a conversation." to which one young lady (who is absolutely focused on self) answered, "I don't think I really talk about me that much!" Notice the use of the words "I' and "me" used in that short little sentence?

Now do you see why I think it is important for not only YOU to get in the habit of saying these affirmations out loud to yourself, but also for your KIDS to do so (if you have them)? We need to plant this seed DEEP and EARLY so that it can take root and be TRUE in the lives of our young people as they grow and develop!

You will find that every great leader (the "non-blood thirsty ones" anyway) has always promoted the idea of serving others and putting the interest of others ahead of ourselves. I'm sure that some of you almost cringed just reading that -- it is so foreign to what we are told and taught by so many forces around us every day (have you WATCHED commercials lately?).  The next time you sit and watch commercials notice the WHY they want you to believe in order to get you to buy their product. Why? Because YOU deserve nothing but the best and, by the way, their product IS the best!

This is getting a little longer than I had planned and I haven't even gotten started yet so I will continue these thoughts tomorrow. So far in this article we have noticed and focused on the PROBLEM of being nothing but a "GETTER". Tomorrow we will focus on the other end of this spectrum...being a GIVER!

Be thinking about this and, yes, make that painful self-examination that we all need to make from time to time to see how much "ME" is a part of our daily activity.

Begin now directing your focus to being a GIVER and not a GETTER 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

R U Running on Empty?

R U Running on Empty?

During my podcasts you will hear me talk about "Magical Monday", "Turn-around Tuesday" and "Wide-Open Wednesday" and about the fact that, what happens in your life and to your life is up to you. This makes it magical and wide-open because YOU can turn it around!

Now, see, if you have a hard time believing those things then, trying to incorporate them into your life is kind of like getting behind the wheel of a car that has an empty gas tank. You won't get anywhere.

Yes, I know (based on yesterday's podcast and blog) that I emphasize that only YOU can make this happen. In other words, even with a FULL gas tank YOU still have to put the key in the ignition, turn it on, put it in gear and steer it down the road.

But, again, if the tank is empty - you're going no where.

The truth is, as I recorded the podcast for today last night - and still even today - I feel as if my tank is empty! Yeah, it happens to me, too.

Here are a couple of reasons - and things you can check out for yourself as well:

1. My tank is empty because I've not been putting the "fuel" in the tank! Well, duh! But it happens very easily when I (or you) don't "feed ourselves" by reading, etc. those positive materials that keep our mindset where it needs to be. I realized that lately I have not been reading the materials that I usually read that keep me going. So, again, it is up to ME in this area to do what is needed and to make sure I am putting "fuel" in my tank!

2. My tank is empty because I need feedback, input, etc. from YOU! Now, although it is up to ME, I still need others - just as you do. This is the idea behind the "Mastermind Group" that Napoleon Hill talks about in his classic, "Think & Grow Rich" (get it for free - just pay S/H @ http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com ). The strength and charge we get from sharing thoughts and ideas with like-minded individuals. On this part, I also can compare this to dipping water out of a well to share with others without ever making sure that I take some of the water for myself. Sooner or later, I've got to be refreshed as well.

So, bottom line - part of this "empty" feeling is due to what I have failed to do in my own life and part of it is because I need feedback from YOU! And, that, for the most part, I have failed to receive from you, friend.

Please know that I'm not "whining", I'm simply talking and sharing from my heart and also trying to help you understand how important it is to not only RECEIVE but to also GIVE BACK.

Yes, I need it too!

If you would, if you are "out there" and reading this and/or listening to my blog - please leave a comment here on this blog. I'd appreciate it and it may also spur someone else on to do the same.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'll survive. I'll thrive. But, right now....I need to refuel.

Thanks, friend.

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

Mike

"Give More Than You Have To!"

GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

Many people go through life doing ONLY what is expected of them and nothing more. They do this with their jobs and their relationships and then wonder why they are miserable.

Living this way is not really living! When once chooses to live their life this way, they may survive but they will NEVER thrive!

Now, I'm not sure about you - but I don't want to simply survive - I CHOOSE TO THRIVE!

And, one of the best ways to make this happen is to follow this simple little rule: "Give More Than You Have To!"

As my boys grew up and began to apply for and get jobs during the summer I always told them, "Always do more than is expected of you. Whatever the boss expects you to do - do more." I think it was good advice then and I think it is good - and sound - advice for each and every one of us today.

Do you want a happier relationship with your spouse? GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

Do you want a happier relationship with your friends and family? GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

Do you want a better relationship with your co-workers? GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

Do you want a better chance at a promotion and raise? GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

Get the point?

Don't settle for the idea, "What do I HAVE to do?" That is a negative mindset, in my opinion and one that needs to be removed from our lives!

Do you want to start a revolution in your life and in the lives of those around you? You guessed it - GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

Yes, people will be shocked at first and wonder what you are up to! But, if you continue to practice this little rule and do it consistently - those around you will see that you are, indeed, for real in your quest to change your life and the lives of those around you!

Revolution? ABSOLUTELY!

A revolt against the status quo of "Do I HAVE to?"!

Isn't it time?

If your children simply go through school doing only what is necessary to pass, what will their future be? Here's what I mean...another example that I will use concerning my children. My wife and I always told them, "If a 'C' is the best you can do and you are working your hardest - that is GREAT! However, if you are capable of an 'A' and you are satisfied with a 'C' because it was easier - that is unacceptable!"

But, you know what? We need to set the example ourselves in our own lives.

PUT IT TO THE TEST! Try this for a week and see what happens! Don't cheat and skip a day - do it every single day for a week with EVERYONE that you come into contact with and see what happens.

I bet you'll end up smiling a little more and enjoy each day a whole lot more along the way as you GIVE MORE THAN YOU HAVE TO!

And, in so doing, you will also...

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

Mike