Good and Bad for Every Season

 

 

As I type this on a Sunday afternoon, I'm looking out the picture window in my living room at the "explosion of Spring". I'm in Arkansas, it's almost mid-April and the greenery is everywhere. My goodness, I've even already mowed my yard for the first time of the season two days ago.

 

I LOVE SPRING!

 

But as I look out my window I notice, very clearly, one of the "downfalls" of Spring....POLLEN. The wind is blowing and the pine trees are sending out "clouds" of pollen as the wind blows through the branches. The oak trees are doing their job in pollination as well and there is pollen EVERYWHERE. This is the time of the year that it would be very nice to open the windows and get fresh air into the house but, if you do that you end up with that yellow powder all over the furniture and floor.

 

Some people suffer terribly from the pollen in the Spring.

 

Then comes Summer - I LOVE SUMMER!

 

I love to go to the lake and either get IN the water or ride on TOP of the water. I love the long days and all that comes with this time of year. I love to get out on my motorcycle and ride where ever the road takes me.

 

But, in Arkansas, as the Summer goes along the temperatures get very warm and we also have LOTS of humidity that comes along with it. Depending on where you live, the mosquito's become quite a nuisance as well as ticks. On top of that the electricity bill soars due to having to run the air conditioner pretty much non-stop.

 

Ahhh, then there's Fall - I LOVE FALL!

 

The cooler temperatures after a very hot and humid summer along with the fall colors make this one of my favorite times of the year. I don't have many down sides to fall except for the fact that winter is on it's way. However, there are others (some in my family) that really struggle with allergies that come from mold in the fall.

 

Oh, too....I hate it when the time changes and we turn our clocks "back" in the fall and it gets dark earlier.

 

And then there's WINTER - sorry, I'm not a big fan of winter.

 

Some people love the winter and I do like at least one "good" snow. When my boys were young and at home I always wanted at least one good snow for them so that they could enjoy getting out and playing in it with each other. For me, one good snow that comes and is melted and gone quickly is just perfect! I do not like the cold temperatures (I know, I'm in Arkansas and, comparatively, it doesn't get as "cold" as other places) and, again, the dampness in the air makes the cold even worse. I don't like the fact that, in the middle of winter, it's dark by 5:00 p.m. and I also don't like the fact that there is no color due to the fact of everything being bare.

 

But, I know some people that absolutely LOVE winter.

 

Here's the thing - I notice the "we" tend to complain about whatever season we happen to be experiencing while talking about how much we are looking forward to the next one. Then, once that season arrives we complain about some of the things I listed above.

 

There are things that we LOVE about each season and then there are things that we don't like so much about parts of each season.

 

Is that a fair assumption?

 

Friend, so it is with life.

 

You can apply that to different stages (ages) of our lives or even different stages of our careers and business desires. You make the application.

 

With every progression - whether in age or business/work - comes new and different challenges.

 

WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT!

 

Let's be careful that we don't find ourselves griping and complaining about the very thing that we longed for before. It's easy to do but it's also a sign of a lack of gratitude. Wouldn't you agree?

 

So, yeah, there are good things about every "season" and there are also bad things - or things we'd rather be different - about every "season". That's life and that's progress in and for our lives.

 

Think about this: any other way would be very BORING!

 

So, I want to encourage you to ENJOY and FLOURISH with each and every change and challenge that comes with each and every "season" in your life.

 

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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Life Has No Remote...

Do you remember those days before you had that collection of remotes setting beside your couch or chair? One thing to remember when thinking of the "days before remotes" is the fact that there weren't that many different channels to watch anyway!

 

Yet, there were those times when, if you wanted to change the channel, you had to get up and physically do it yourself.

 

Unless, of course, you had kids! :)

 

That's right. I tell people that my kids were my remotes before I had remotes. "Hey son, change that over to a different channel as you walk by!"

 

Now there are remotes for just about everything! We have become spoiled by all of these remotes and how easy it has become to change whatever they are connected to.

 

So, due to that, we may even find ourselves sitting around waiting for something to change as easily as changing the channel or ceiling fan speed.

 

Well, friend, let's take a step into the light of reality: IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY!

 

I actually saw the saying that you see displayed above on a sign in front of a church building. I recorded myself quoting that saying on my cell phone recorder so I'd remember it. (Hint: do this anytime ANYTHING jumps out at you that you want to remember for later, Don't count on your memory if it really matters!).

 

The late Jim Rohn used to say something along the lines of, "Life is not a tree. If you don't like where you are, MOVE!"

 

You've "heard" me say it again and again but, friend, if you want your life to change, YOU have to take action. Others may be able to help you along the way and others may be able to offer encouragement but, bottom line: NO ONE CAN DO IT FOR YOU!

 

Here's the deal: You ARE capable at making whatever change it is that you want and/or need to make. That's right - you CAN do it no matter how hard it may appear or how large a task.

 

"As long as their is breath, there is hope!" - Mike Spillman

 

Are you breathing? Then, guess what? There is hope and opportunity for CHANGE in your life!

 

Too, remember that a cruise ship cannot make a 180 degree turn as quickly as a bicycle but it still CAN be done!

 

So...get up off of your butt and change it yourself.

 

"It ain't going to change itself!"

 

And, as you make that move, always be sure to...

 

 

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

 

Mike

 

Future You University     "Like" FYU on Facebook!     Podcast on iTunes     Podcast RSS feed

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CHANGE: No Fault of Our Own

"CHANGE: No Fault of Our Own"

Hey listen, sometimes (like we discussed in the last article) we screw up and bring changes into our lives BECAUSE of something we have done, right?

And then, there are those changes that come into our lives at absolutely NO FAULT of our own. And, sometimes, these are the hardest changes to handle for many.

Before we get too far into this, let's look one more time at the four different categories that I've put together as to the different kinds of changes that we face in our lives:

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

If you haven't done so, take a look at the changes that have taken place in your life over the past month and even the past year and see what category these changes would fit into...even get out a piece of paper and jot this stuff down. You may be surprised at what you find IF you are completely open and honest with yourself.

Now back to the topic for today: those changes that come into our lives at NO FAULT of our own.

Has your life ever changed due to the death of a loved one or a close friend? Obviously it was no fault of your own but the change impacted your life anyway, right?

Has your home ever been damaged or loss due to a flood or some sort of storm or fire? Again, this was no fault of your own bu the change came anyway.

Have you ever lost a job due to circumstances out of your control such as the company "downsizing" (what a "nice" word, huh?)?

Has change come into your life due to some health issue that has developed due to circumstances out of your control? I'm not talking about situations like this that developed due to you smoking or other unhealthy habits. I'm talking about something that you had NO control over at all. Perhaps it was due to a car accident that was caused by someone else. Maybe it was even just some freak health issue that was undetected all of your life up until this point.

Guess what... in all of these situations change comes REGARDLESS of who was or was not at fault.

Friend, I'm not trying to be the bearer of bad news but if you've not experienced such change in your life then know that you WILL if you live long enough.

This type of change is a part of living and it's not easy to handle for anyone.

May I offer a word of kindness to anyone that is still dealing with the changes that have come into your life due to some such incident? Hang in there! I KNOW from my own experiences that this type of situation can leave you with far more questions than answers and I want to encourage you to find some people that will support you an allow you to struggle while encouraging you at the same time.

One of the worse things a person can do with this type of change is to attempt to handle it all by themselves.

You see, we like to be able to pinpoint who is at fault when something goes wrong...that's just our human nature.

We may even shake our fist at God because we don't know who else to blame but, in the long run, that doesn't help us deal with this change either.

As I've said on the podcast and as the picture at the top of this article states, "The only constant in life is CHANGE!"

If you've experienced such change in your life could you be of assistance to someone else that is just now beginning such a journey? Could you be of help in listening because YOU understand in ways that those who have yet to go through such a change can't?

My wife and I have been through some rough times in our life in many ways (no, I'm not trying to get you to feel sorry for us) but these rough times have helped us to be able to understand and reach out to others in ways that we never could have without going through these changes in the first place.

Does that mean I'm glad the change happened in our life? NO! But, it does mean that I can use the experience to hopefully help someone else that is left bewildered by changes that come at absolutely no fault of their own.

Take a look around you. Who may need YOUR sympathy and understanding that only YOU can give because of change that has come into YOUR life at no fault of your own?

I can promise you that there are people around you each and every day that could use your insight into these difficult times.

Remember, we're in this thing called life TOGETHER!

I do hope that, in some small way, what I do through Future You University is of some help and comfort to all of you as we work our way through this thing called "life".

Think about it. Hang on. Help others.

And, even in the midst of these changes always remember to...

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

Mike

CHANGES: I Screwed Up!

CHANGES: I SCREWED UP!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Does that describe you? (*OUCH!*)

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

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

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

Again, does that describe you?

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

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

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

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

A bit blunt, huh?

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

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

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

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

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time, be sure to ....

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

Mike