Dream BIG and Do It TODAY!

Dream BIG and Do It TODAY!

I've been discussing the importance of rediscovering and following "the music" or your dreams. I get excited when I think about the feeling you will - notice I said WILL and not "might" - receive when you begin to uncover and rediscover what you once dreamed about and got excited about!

Again, it's so easy to allow "life" to clutter our world in such a way as to "cover up" those dreams and goals and to make it hard - if not impossible - to hear the music that use to make us smile, laugh and dance!

I was reminded once again last night of how natural "music" is to our lives. Our youngest son, Jordan, spent the weekend at his grandparents and, during that time, they kept their great-grandson for the day. Jordan plays the guitar and talked about how Cayden would immediately start smiling and dancing whenever he heard Jordan start playing the guitar.

IT'S A NATURAL THING!

And, even when talking about actual music, we sometimes forget what a joy it is to hear, smile and dance to the music once we become adults!

Let me ask you this: Do you do the "Bootie Shake" during my FUN FRIDAY podcast? If you don't know what I'm talking about, find any of my Friday podcasts and listen in - I do this each and every Friday as part of the podcast - we do the BOOTIE SHAKE! (Yes, I know "bootie" is not spelled correctly - that's part of the fun!). As part of the recording I play some "dance music" and encourage the listeners to stand up and "shake their BOOTIE" regardless of what others might think!

And, I know that many are afraid to do that - I'm not sure what they are afraid of, but we don't want people to look at us funny. But, I also know of some that have told me that they have done it, got some strange looks but loved it, did it anyway and smiled and laughed!

Somewhere down the line we have begun to give too much precedence to what OTHERS THINK and less significance to what MAKES US SMILE!

Please understand that I know we have a responsibility to others and that we cannot live a life of "if it feels good, do it" with complete disregard to anyone else. I think you know that's not what I'm suggesting so don't allow that thought to keep you from "hearing the message" for today!

LIVE AGAIN! LAUGH AGAIN! DREAM AGAIN!

Begin to follow that "rediscovered" dream and begin to hear that music once again that brings joy to your soul and see what happens.

I'd love to hear from you - your fears, your excitement, your anticipation - as you begin to "dream big and dream big TODAY".

And, all along the way be sure to...

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

Mike

Begin to Dream Again!

Begin to Dream Again!

Taking the main thought from yesterday's article - Can you still hear the music? Or, as I talk about on today's podcast, have you allowed the music (passion, drive, dream) to be buried by negative thoughts and influences to the point that it can no longer be heard and enjoyed?

It's easy for us to allow this to happen, so don't beat yourself up too much.

It's easy because it usually doesn't happen all at once but a little bit at a time and a little bit each and every day. Then, after a while, we have failed to even notice that the "music" is gone and, instead, we have replaced it with "noise".

Today I want to encourage you to DREAM AGAIN!

Here are the questions that I said we would address today - "If money were not an issue, what would you be doing right now?" - "Are you doing that right now - today?" - "If not, why not?"

Again, remember - IF MONEY WERE NOT AN ISSUE (because I know that's our first "objection" to this scenario and the first "reason/excuse" we use as to why we AREN'T living that life)!

Somewhere along the way we have lost our passion and our the joy of our dream (the "music") in our lives and for our lives. And we wonder why we often feel unhappy and unfulfilled?

Maybe it was the idea that we had to "get a real job" and give up on our dreams. Maybe it was the lure of something else that took us off course.

Whatever the reason, I want to encourage you to uncover that dream once again!

Now, I understand that you may not be able to make the living that you desire by that dream alone (but, then again, perhaps you could!), but I still want you to get excited about uncovering that "hidden treasure" that you have left out of your life for so long.

Have you ever discovered a box from your attic that contained some items from your childhood? Do you remember the excitement and child-like feeling that you had when you began to rediscover those items and the thoughts and feelings along with them? Do you remember the joy? The thrill? Did you begin talking and sharing with those there with you about what each item was and why you kept it? My guess is you were like a kid all over again!

THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

Just the very fact that you decide to "uncover" and rediscover those dreams (the "music") that you once had will excite you - IF you will allow yourself this joy and pleasure!

Beware of the negative talk in your own mind as well as what may come from others. You may tell yourself, "Oh, just leave that alone - what good will it do to think about it again? You'll never be able to do it anyway, so why even think about it?"

DO IT ANYWAY!

I believe you will feel that same exhilaration that I described above in the scenario of opening a box from your youth.

Do this a little each and every day and feel some joy come back into your life. Feel some hope begin to show up as well. You may very well even discover (as well as your family and those around you) that you are a little happier and not as grumpy and negative as before!

Why? Because you have allowed yourself to "hear the music" or to dream once again!

And finally, one last suggestion - find a way to begin to incorporate these dreams back into your life once again. Just a little at a time begin to find ways to enjoy them in your life.

Perhaps it will be in the evenings or on the weekends...whatever and whenever - just do it and see what happens!

Hey, I'm excited for you!

And, as you do, let the "music move you" like it did once before!

And, hey friend, don't forget to...

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

Mike

Can You Still Hear the Music?

Can You Still Hear the Music?

I'm glad I was able to find the graphic above for today's podcast. Sometimes it's hard for me to find a graphic to "fit" what the topic of the day is and sometimes I have to kind of "stretch" it a bit to make it work -- but this one seems to fit perfectly with today's topic.

Let me get off track a little right off the bat, o.k.? Music is POWERFUL! Music has the ability to make us laugh, smile, sigh and even cry. I believe that music - perhaps on an even level with love - is the most powerful force on earth.

You don't have to agree with me. After all, this is MY blog and MY thoughts, right? But, I can almost promise that you have been moved to tears of sorrow and/or joy as well as had your foot tapping - whether you intended to or not - due to music.

Music is PASSIONATE! And, many times, this passion is what makes music so powerful in our lives.

Think about it. The passion attached to someone that we love is connected to a song that has "just the right words" to it. The two mix together to move us in a powerful way! The passion attached to the pain we feel when someone we love has died can be connected to a song that, again, has "just the right words" that express exactly how we feel at the moment. Powerful.

Have you noticed how even babies just HAVE to move when music starts playing? I've seen that with my own kids and it has always amazed me.

I would sing to all three of my sons while my wife was still carrying them in her stomach and they would get very still as I would sing. My oldest - obviously being the first born - went through a very long ordeal in labor before the doctors finally decided that a Cesarean section needed to be done. By the time he was born, Jacob was very stressed and crying like crazy. When they handed him to me I began to speak and sing to him and he calmed down immediately!

O.k. now - have I painted a pretty good picture of the passion and moving force that we find with music? I hope so and I hope that you can relate. I know you can because, again, music IS such a powerful force in our world.

Now then, in connection to what we began talking about yesterday based on the movie, "August Rush", I must ask the question found in the title of today's article - "Can you still hear the music?"

"Music" in this sense can be a variety of things in your life. I want you to think back 10, 20, 30 maybe even 50 years ago and ask yourself what it was that made you smile and sing? What made you happy? What made your heart soar?

Do you remember what it was like when you saw that special someone for the very first time? What about the very first time that you spoke to that person? Were you nervous? Elated? Excited?

How did you feel when you went out on that first date? How about when they said "yes" to your proposal of marriage? The wedding day...the honeymoon?

How long ago was that? Now fast forward to today. Is it the same or have you allowed all of the "stuff" in life to drag you and your relationship down to where you have forgotten the joy and the passion of your relationship?

Now let's connect this to your "job" and/or what you wanted to be "when you grew up".

What were your plans even when you got married or when you first got out of college or whatever time you were looking at your life ahead in a brand new way?

What were you going to do? How were you going to go about it? Who was going to stop you? Were you going to be the BEST at whatever it was? Was it going to make you happy and provide you and your family with everything you ever dreamed of?

What happened?

(Now, again, I know that there are some of you that are doing what you love and have always been doing what you love. I want to hear from you! Send me a note and let me know how you have kept it this way - mike@futureyouuniversity.com )

For many, the "dream" has vanished and they find themselves doing something other than what they had planned as well as finding that they dread each and every day. They find that because of this dread, they are physically and emotionally exhausted most - if not all - of the time. Due to this, many times the life at home with the family is not at all what they had planned either.

What happened?

Can you still hear the music in the midst of all of this or has it been silenced by all of the "stuff" that is weighing you down? Am I connecting with you here?

Here's the thing - the music STILL PLAYS whether we can hear it or not. It's still there and it still has the ability to move and inspire our lives.

The "music" I refer to can be called "passion", "drive", "motivation" or whatever it is that you want to call it. Whatever it is that puts the "wind in your sail" and gives you that feeling that, indeed, anything is possible!

Can you still hear it? Can you still feel it? Do you feel the sense that it IS still there is you will be take the time and the effort to listen?

Here are a few questions to lead us into tomorrow's discussion:

If money were not an issue, what would you be doing? Are you doing that? If not, why not?

Give it some thought, wrestle with it, write down your thoughts and join me tomorrow as we continue this discussion and, in the mean time....listen for that "music". It's still there!

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

Mike