Your Attitude MATTERS!

 This article comes from thoughts I shared on my most recent podcast (access it HERE) on the #TRUTH that, "Your Attitude MATTERS!"

Listen, it doesn't matter WHO you are or WHAT you are doing (job, school, parenting, etc.) the fact remains that the ATTITUDE that YOU CHOOSE (that's right, it's a choice!) will have a HUGE impact on you day, week, month and year. And, if you keep adding that time up it will turn out to be YEARS and you will wonder why your life did not turn out the way you had wished. 

This past week I came across a post on my social media that brought about my decision to do a podcast/blog article on this topic. Without revealing more than the content, here's a picture of the post with some notes that I've made that I'll discuss with you here.

First of all, let me say that, whoever came up with this was someone that had a horrible, negative attitude about work and - my guess would be - pretty much every area of their life. That's just my opinion but it is an opinion based on what I've observed and learned over the years.

 

Now then, on to the information in this graphic. Right off the start - at the top - marked as #1 in my comment box we find someone that feels the need to share what THEY HAVE LEARNED about employment. Key point here: Be CAREFUL who you listen to and take "advice" from. Listen, there is actually SOME good advice found in this graphic such as found in numbers 8 and 12.  Your family IS more important than any job BUT you still have to understand the BALANCE that must come with both. (I could do a whole article just on this point and maybe I will in the future). And, for sure, as is mentioned in #12, it is important to keep your personal life private. But, here's the kicker...this also applies to social media and, my guess is, since this was posted on social media that the author of these thoughts does not apply this advice consistently. 

Notice my notes in my second comment about #4 in the posted list... "Do the bare minimum, or you'll get rewarded  MORE work." Again, this "advice" alone should cause everyone to run in the opposite direction! Oh, I know that this is a common opinion held by many but IT IS POISON to your mind and to ANY POSSIBILITY of you actually improving your situation/position at your work. That's a guarantee!

Again, the attitude exhibited by this point alone, should be enough to see that this person's mind has been poisoned by a negative mindset. However, many times, those who ALSO have their minds "poisoned" by negative attitudes will see this as something that makes sense. And it does...to them. Why? Because this is all they see, hear, taste, touch, smell and consume. 

Side note on #9: "Some of your coworkers secretly hate you." Really? Is this a surprise? It shouldn't be because it's called LIFE! Moving on...

Now in my "3rd comment box"...  The attitude expressed in #4 on the list will GUARANTEE that there will NEVER be any substantial pay increase (#10) AND that there will NEVER be promotions in compensation (#11). 

Here's the thing that so many people (like the one that posted this list) don't seem to understand: Your negative attitude and negative approach to your work will KEEP YOU EXACTLY WHERE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE. That is how it works, friend!

This type of negative attitude will keep you on the "hamster wheel" of frustration and disappointment while you continue to blame anybody and everybody else for your lack of forward progress in your position. Go take a good long look in the mirror at where the problem actually lies...YOU! 

But, here's the GOOD NEWS about all of this: It doesn't have to STAY that way. That's right! YOU have the ability to start making CHANGES in your own attitude and life. It won't be easy because you have likely grown so accustomed to this negative attitude and lifestyle that you may feel that it is even impossible. Always remember this quote that I came up with back in 2009, "As long as there is breath, there is HOPE!"

If you REALLY wish to rid your life of this negative attitude then I have some good news for you! I actually did a series of articles addressing that very thing. It's called "Positive Mindset 101" and it is designed to help you learn how to DEVELOP and MAINTAIN a positive mindset. If you've not done so before, you can begin with the first article in the series by going HERE. 

One last thing to leave you with. I'VE BEEN THERE! Yep! There have been times in my past where I allowed myself to be influenced by others around me that had a stinking attitude (negative attitude) about work and I became miserable! Yes, I turned it around but I just want to make sure you understand that I, too, have struggled with the influence of negative attitudes.

IT'S A CHOICE and it is YOUR choice. My advice: Choose wisely!

Until next time...

Make it an AWESOME day - who else is going to do it for you?

Mike

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2nd of 8 Things to Give Up



Is doubting yourself a result of negative thinking or is negative thinking a result of doubting yourself?  I would suggest that they feed off of each other and that they will continue to do so - and, likely grow and increase - until you decide to do something about it by giving them up.

 

For today's thoughts on giving up negative thinking, we must first of all realize that we are all SURROUNDED by negative thinking. It's literally everywhere. If you are around people and/or watch any television "news" at all then you are "pounded" by negative thinking every day.

 

What passes for "news" is hardly news at all. If you really pay attention to what is part of the evening "news", you will discover that the majority of it is actually commentary and opinion. In our modern world, you will also find "news" from every corner of the world and involving every thing that happens anywhere and every where.

 

Have you noticed that some people (more than you may have even realized) just seem to be focused on EVERYTHING that is wrong with EVERYTHING?

 

Listen - let's make this short and to the point - the ONLY way that you will be able to "give up" negative thinking is to STOP LISTENING to all of the negativity that surrounds you AND to replace it with as much POSITIVE information (like this and the podcast) as possible.

 

It is not enough to just REMOVE the negativity. You must REPLACE it with something positive.

 

You must be determined to PROTECT your mindset from all of the negativity and DEVELOP a positive mindset. It's not always easy (go back and see the quote in the last article about "easier said than done") and it may take some time but, you must realize (and decide for yourself) that this is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE!

 

You can do it but you must be proactive in the process. Allow YOUR positive attitude to surround you and watch what happens to the attitudes of those around you. HINT: It will likely begin to turn positive as well.

 

Come on...give it up. Who really wants to hang on to negative thinking? Honestly, some do, but not YOU!

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

Mike

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Good or Bad - It's Contagious!



(this blog originally appeared at: http://www.empowernetwork.com/mspillman/blog/good-or-bad-its-contagious/ )

 

 

 

Attitude.

 

Good or bad, it’s contagious!

 

And, just like some deadly disease, you need to RUN and PROTECT YOURSELF and those you love from the impact of a negative or bad attitude. As a matter of fact, friend, I’d say it actually IS a “deadly disease”. It attacks mind, body and soul and can leave a once vibrant person lifeless and weak.

 

Am I overstating this? NO WAY!

 

When one truly understands the devastating impact of a negative attitude and a negative environment then they will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to get as far away as possible from this plague of mankind.

 

Now, enough of that, let’s turn our focus to the GOOD SIDE of a POSITIVE mindset and attitude being something that you WANT to “catch”! Yes, you still need to RUN but, instead of running away from a BAD attitude, you should RUN TO any environment, group of people or person that personifies this positive attitude.

 

That’s why reading and listening to positive information is so vital to your survival if you desire to have this positive/good attitude yourself. IT’S FOOD FOR THE MIND, SOUL AND BODY!

 

So, let’s close and take a look at this. Not only is it important to surround yourself with positivity but it is also important to make sure YOU are SPREADING the strength that comes from this. In other words, WHAT ARE PEOPLE “CATCHING” FROM YOU?

 

Join me on my “positive mission”, won’t you?

 

Just as it is true with our physical intake with food, so it is with a positive or negative attitude and mindset: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT.

 

Think about it and always remember to…

 

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

Mike

G.I.G.O.

 

This is "THANKFUL THURSDAY"...express all for which YOU have to be thankful!

How many of you have ever watched the show "Hoarders"? And, if you have, how many of you have watched in utter disgust and disbelief that ANYONE could live that way?

Yet, how many of us DO live this way when it comes to the "garbage" that we allow into our lives and the lives of those around us - yes, especially our children? Friend, whether you realize it or not, we ALL probably allow more trash/garbage into our minds and lives than we want to admit or even realize.

G.I.G.O. = "garbage in/garbage out". This is a phrase used to describe the need for accuracy in computer programming. A computer is only as "smart" and as "accurate" as the information that is programmed into it in the first place. (Hey, listen - I'm not a computer geek so don't get upset if I word something incorrectly, o.k.? Thank you!).

Maybe even envision it this way: If you put gasoline into your car that is contaminated with either water or even bits of trash, then your car - no matter what the cost or what size the engine - will not run very well. G.I.G.O.

Do you find yourself to be in a negative mood much of the time? Perhaps it's time to do a "check up from the neck up". Maybe it's time to really take a look at what kind of information we are allowing into our mind and, as a result, our mindset. Positive mindset or negative mindset?

It's SOOOO easy for us to get careless and not pay much attention to what we allow in our minds. It's easy to let down our guard and even justify allowing a "little bit" of trash to slip in. Hey friend, it only takes a "little bit" of trash to bring ANY machine down not to mention how a "little bit" of trash/unhealthy foods each day adds up to MAJOR problems with our physical bodies as well as the impact on our brains.

As one guy said in a movie, "And that's a fact, Jack!"

What do you read? What do you watch on t.v. and how MUCH of it do you watch? What do you listen to on the radio or via mp3 players, etc.? Who do you listen to on a daily basis by spending time with them? What do you say to YOURSELF (self-talk)?

All of these are areas that we MUST pay close attention to IF we are really serious about performing at our best. It all starts in the mind and with our mindset.

What are YOU "putting in/allowing in" and what are you getting out? Don't expect excellence out of garbage. IT JUST WON'T HAPPEN!

Hopefully this blog as well as the podcast is a help for you in this area. Take advantage of this material as well as others that offer such positive information and see what happens in your life.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow for another powerful and positive message. Until then, be sure to...

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

Mike

Avoid the Flatline

Avoid the Flatline

Oh yeah, when you or someone you love is in the hospital you DO NOT want to see that pattern shown above. You don't want to see the dreaded "flatline"!

You WANT to see the "ups and downs" that indicate that your heart is pumping and working showing that you are ALIVE!

Now, surely, you are catching the obvious comparisons here, right? I've already talked about the "pattern of life" that we often go through in our own lives when we experience the "ups and downs".

We think we'd LOVE it if all we ever encountered were "up times". We AVOID the "down times" as much as possible yet, just as with the EKG readout, the "ups and downs" in our own lives are also indicators that we are ALIVE!

And, just like in the hospital and on the EKG readout we should also AVOID THE "FLATLINE" in the pattern of our life!

Many people flatline when they have hit an extended down period in their lives but it is also possible to "flatline" when things aren't so bad. That's right. It's easy to "settle for the mundane" or "the easy". It's easy to want to live life without "rocking the boat" or creating any waves.

BORING!

And dangerous IF you want to avoid the "flatline".

Hey, listen... whether you are settling for mediocrity or stuck in a down period, whatever you do - DO NOT FLATLINE!

In other words, do NOT give up and do NOT settle.

We see the dangers of this type of "inactivity" all around us. A body of water that does not have flow ("life", energy) becomes a STAGNANT pool of FILTH and DISEASE! A person that is inactive WILL face health issues and this is really evident in those that are confined to nursing homes when they are unable to move about. They MUST be moved or they will develop all sorts of bed sores as well as other ailments.

MOVEMENT IS A MUST FOR LIFE!

Again, even if you are in an extended down period - DO NOT GIVE UP! Look for those small "up-ticks" in your day. It may be the smile of a friend or the sunshine or whatever it is. LOOK FOR THESE THINGS in your day so that you DO NOT "flatline" and become stagnant!

Remember, "As long as there is breath there is hope!" - DO NOT EVER FORGET THAT!

Tomorrow, in the concluding article for this series I will discuss the HOPE that we still have even if we HAVE "flatlined". Be sure to join me for this important discussion.

Until then...

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

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

Your Informational Filter

"Your Informational Filter"

Take a moment and look at that picture and ask yourself this question: "Would I allow a big pile of garbage like that in my house?"

I hope that I can answer that for you with a resounding, "NO!".

Yes, there are some people that do, but I'm hoping that you are not one of them!

Of course, by looking at the picture you already know what the real point of it is especially when you combine it with what we have been talking about for the past few days.

WHAT JUNK ARE YOU ALLOWING INTO YOUR MIND?

We have been talking about the massive amounts of "news programming" available to us each and every day via the television. This doesn't even take into account what's available to us on the Internet, the radio and even our smart phones. Is there REALLY a need for this much information/news?

NO!

Here's the deal, too, when you start talking about all of this "news programming" - a lot of it (if not most of it) is not even news at all!

You've heard the phrase, "No news is good news" right? Well, let me do my own little twist on that one by saying this: "ALL NEWS IS NOT GOOD NEWS!"

I'm not even talking about the fact that we sometimes receive bad news. What I'm talking about is that everything that might be labeled as "news" in our society is not all GOOD (as in "quality") news. Really think that one over.

The main reason I brought all of this up about the news is due to the fact that I have noticed such an "overkill" on my own "local/affiliate stations" with their "news coverage" AND also due to so many people claiming that they just HAVE to keep up with the "news". Really?

Anyway, enough of that.

What about soap operas? What about sports programming? (By the way, a lot of the so-called "sports programming" is pretty much like the "news programming" when you consider the fact that some of these 24 hour cable sports channels have to fill that much time!).

What about Facebook? What about....? YOU fill in the blank there and be HONEST with yourself on these things.

How much time are you spending DUMPING garbage (useless or negative information) into your mind? Remember, G.I.G.O. (garbage in - garbage out).

Tomorrow I will conclude this series but the battle will be one that continues in your life and it is 100% up to YOU as to what you do about it - if anything at all.

Bottom line again - do NOT think that what you allow into your mind has not impact on your life and the lives of those around you.

Start using your "informational filter" and "clean up" what you are allowing into the "engine" for your whole life.

Think about and DO something about it.

Until next time...

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

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

Information Overload

"INFORMATION OVERLOAD"

How much "information" is TOO much and what "information" is actually USEFUL information?

These are but a few of the questions that we all really need to be asking ourselves IF we are serious about controlling what we allow into our "mental mindset".

Why? Again, referring back to the old computer acrostic "G.I.G.O." = "Garbage In, Garbage Out". What you ALLOW in to your mental mindset will be what "comes out" in your thoughts and actions.

If that doesn't sober you up a little bit I'm not sure what will.

I emphasized the word, "ALLOW" two paragraphs earlier for a reason. Let's face it, we're not being FORCED as to what information goes into our heads, are we? Likely not. So, again getting honest with ourselves, we ALLOW this into our minds.

Did you go through your programming guide to see how much "news programming" is on during the course of a day on YOUR television channels? Again, I'm not even talking about the cable "news" channels that are on 24 hours a day but your "local" channels like NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox (no, not the Fox News Network).

Here's what I found when I researched my programming guide:

The local affiliates for NBC and ABC each have a total of 10 hours of "news programming" on as a combination of national and local programming. The CBS affiliate has 9.5 hours available and the local affiliate for the Fox channel only has 4 hours of local news programming. I also found that the local NBC affiliate begins this type of programming at 4:30 a.m. and continues it off and on throughout the day until 10:30 p.m. The ABC affiliate begins this type of programming at 2:30 a.m. and continues on and off until 10:30 p.m. (even though it just hit me that they do also have a national "news" program from 11:00 - 11:30 p.m. which brings them up to the same 10 hours a day as the other two that I mentioned.

I live in Arkansas which is a very small state. However, our local affiliates feel that there is some sort of need for those of us in the state to be inundated with MASSIVE amounts of local news available to us all throughout the day. Really?

Listen friend, I'm here to tell you that there is NOT enough "news" going on in this small state to justify the local NBC affiliate airing a local "news program" from 5:00 - 7:00 a.m. as well as from noon - 1:00 p.m. and then again from 5:00 - 5:30, 6:00 - 6:30, 7:00 - 7:30 and again from 10:00 - 10:30 p.m. Too, the local ABC affiliate offers similar local programming from 4:30 - 7:00 a.m., 9:00 - 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. - Noon, 5:00 - 5:30 p.m., 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 - 10:30 p.m. Let's not forget the local CBS affiliate that offers the same type of "programming" beginning at 4:30 - 7:00 a.m. and then provides more from 9:00 - 9:30 a.m., Noon - 12:30 p.m., 5:00 - 5:30 p.m., 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. and again at 10:00 - 10:30 p.m.

Whew! That makes me tired just typing all of that!

My friend, this is INFORMATION OVERLOAD and I didn't even address the national "news programs" that are on off and on all day and night. And, yes, I put the words "news programs" in quotes for a reason and I will address that in the next podcast/article.

Remember, too, that we haven't even began to mention the so-called cable "news channels" that are on 24 hours a day.

HELP!

So, friend, what are you allowing in YOUR mind? What are you allowing to make a definite IMPACT upon your life and the lives of all that you have contact with on a daily basis? Remember the "ripple effect"?

Think about it - with the television turned off for a change and we'll continue this discussion tomorrow.

Until then, be sure to...

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

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

"When the Going Gets Tough" - Conclusion

"Conclusion: Another 'R' To Consider"

As we conclude the thoughts on the saying, "When the going gets tough the tough get going" I want to encourage you to realize one thing: YOU CAN MAKE IT THROUGH ANY TOUGH TIME THAT COMES YOUR WAY!

Yes, some are easier to handle than other and some take longer to work through than others but the key thing to remember is that you CAN make it through!

Even though I have not gone into real "in-depth" discussions on each part of this series, I do believe that you have the FOUNDATION that you need to be able to incorporate them into your life to help you during times of struggle.

Bottom line: You'll never improve your situation until you decide to do something different than what you have done before.

As I said at the beginning of this series, first and foremost - YOU HAVE A CHOICE in anything and everything that you do and you also have a choice when it comes time to facing tough situations in your life.

Stop being a victim! Stop trying to find someone else to blame and TAKE CONTROL of your life and DECIDE NOW that you will move ahead!

This is all part of "The 3 R's of Change" that we discussed in yesterday's article. You NEED to "retreat, regroup and rethink" before you move forward again.

Learning from your mistakes is one thing but it doesn't mean that you have to keep making the SAME mistakes over and over again. Actually, what that would mean is that you didn't learn anything at all!

Now, today, in the conclusion I discuss still yet, another "R". I know. I said that there were only three. Well, actually there ARE "The 3 R's of Change" and this one actually is something that may be needed AFTER you go through the first three.

Remember the example of the football or basketball going to the locke room at halftime? That would be the "retreat" part of the equation.

They may need to wrap some ankles or tend to other injuries or even just rehydrate. That would be PART of the "regroup" part of the equation.

However, "regrouping" and "rethinking" are closely tied together. Part of "regrouping" is allowing yourself the time to actually "rethink" the situation as well. Following the example that we used in yesterday's article, the coaching staff would need to look at what has already happened in the first half and then decide - based on what they have seen and experienced - what their "plan of attack" will be for the second half.

If it has not been working then they will "rethink" what they have been doing and they will MAKE A CHANGE and go out onto the field or court with a different game plan.

But, what if NOTHING seems to work over and over again? (Have you been there? I have!)

If the coaching staff continues to "retreat, rethink and regroup" they may eventually discover that the problem is that one of their positions needs to have a change made! Perhaps they have had a key player get injured OR the player that they have in a certain position just isn't quite getting the job done.

What do they do? They "RECRUIT" someone else to come in with the hopes of "filling the gap" and improving the team.

So, this other "R" that we will discuss briefly today is "RECRUIT".

YOU may need to do some recruiting in your own life! This just simply means that you might want to consider the possibility of getting some additional HELP to aide you in your desire to "break through" your tough situation.

Perhaps you may need to "recruit" some materials into your life that will help give you the positive mindset that you need in order to keep moving forward. This blog along with my podcast and other materials is a great example of what I'm talking about. On my website (http://www.michaelspillman.com/) you can also get a free copy of Napoleon Hill's great book, "Think and Grow Rich" as well as access some materials from the late, great Jim Rohn.

You can go and get some free information from http://www.success.com/ and subscribe to their magazine if you think it would be worth the money to do so.

The main thought here is that you UNDERSTAND the need to "fill the gap" that may exist in your life and the mindset needed in order to persevere during tough times.

You may also need to RECRUIT some friends (but make sure they are friends with a POSITIVE mindset as well and NOT someone with a negative mindset which would be self-defeating) to help you stay on track as you do the same for them.

And, finally, you may need to RECRUIT a "mentor" - someone that you trust and respect and that you will actually LISTEN to as well as take to heart the things that they share with you.

This could be a friend - preferably, at least in my thought, an older person that has already experienced some of life's tough times and has come through - that you know personally OR you may even be able to connect with someone that you have become acquainted with via a book or some other source.

However, the probability of you being able to have someone as a mentor in this second category will likely cost you quite a bit of money. True, many people will say that someone is their "mentor" because they have read many of their books and/or listened to them via mp3, CD or even at live events. I agree that some people "connect" with others in a more powerful way (Jim Rohn is that person for me) and that they may have a POWERFUL impact on a persons life without ever even meeting them - but, to me, this is not what I mean by a "mentor".

When I talk about a mentor, I am talking about someone that you can sit down and talk to face to face.

Why is this so important? Because they can talk to you and discuss with you the SPECIFICS of your situation even as they may change from day to day.

But will you listen? It will do no good at all to "recruit" a mentor if you are not willing to listen and take some advice from this person.

That would be like a football team recruiting a new running back to replace their injured running back and then never putting the guy in the game.

Friend, my guess is that, if at all possible, you NEED to find a "mentor" in your life. I say this regardless of the situation that you find yourself in right now. I have benefited greatly over the years by having someone much older and wiser than myself in my life and to be able to sit down and "pick their brain" on different topics.

Why not try it in and for your life as well?

So, when the going gets tough...

- you have some choices to make (you can either GIVE UP or GET UP and keep moving)

- you probably will need to make some CHANGES from what you have been doing before

- you can incorporate "The 3 R's of Change" to help aide you in this process

- you may need to "RECRUIT" someone older and wiser for some advice

So what?

So what will YOU do now that you have this information? It's always up to you. Others can advise and suggest but YOU are the one that will decide what to do.

I will help any way that I can - please don't hesitate to contact me via the contact tab on the main site.

Until the next time...

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

Mike

A State of Mind

A State of Mind

"When I fill out a form that requires me to put what state I live in, I don't know what else to put down but - 'The State of Confusion' ."

Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, right? (insert "smiley face" here)

Last week I discussed the topic of ways to become "happier" - things we can DO that should bring a sense of happiness and well-being into our lives. Then on Friday, for the "Fun Friday" podcast I poked fun at the bottom 10 states that were listed for the 50 United States in order of "happiness" rankings.

I've joked about the fact that Arkansas was number 48 on the list of 50. Wow! I guess I just THOUGHT I was happy!

As silly as this sounds, there are MANY people that would look at the list I mentioned (find the link in the last entry before this one) and reason that if they would move to one of the states that are higher on the list than their own state - then they'd be happier!

Uh.... simply put: WRONG!

Yes, sure, there are some things that can make life easier and some places that can have a better job market and access to things that other places do not. However, from what I've learned, each place has their own pros and cons. Wouldn't you agree?

So, when you really consider this - it doesn't matter where you live! The "happiest state" would be your "state of mind"!

We've talked about this over and over and over again - it's all about your mindset and what you do to either have a POSITIVE or a NEGATIVE mindset.

So, friend... look around you and stop wishing that you were somewhere else. You are HERE and you are here NOW.

What you do about that fact is up to YOU and no one else.

Yes, you got it - it's all about CHOICE and it is YOUR CHOICE.

Isn't it interesting how it all comes down to this?

Listen to today's podcast for more thoughts on this topic and...as the old saying goes, "Bloom were you're planted!"

And, as you do so...

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

Mike

Beware Mediocrity!

"Beware Mediocrity!"

How many of us would line up to go to the restaurant that would advertise a "mediocre sandwich"? Perhaps they believe in the "truth in advertising" rule! (Don't you wish more restaurants were as open and honest as the "mocked up" sign above?)

Here is the definition of "mediocre" as given by dictionary.com . . .

MEDIOCRE: adjective
1. of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate.
2. rather poor or inferior.

Now, YOU tell ME - would you seek out a restaurant, a business, a car dealership, a doctor, a dentist, a school, a realtor (and on and on we could go) that promoted themselves using EITHER of these definitions?

Can you even imagine an advertisement coming across your television screen or the radio airwaves with the voice saying, "Our customers say we're neither good or bad! Heck no! As a matter of fact, they say we're 'barely adequate'!"

Now, let's get down to the point - how many of us have settled for these to be definitions of our own lives? OUCH!

Yes, we are continuing our discussion of the choice we have to either FOLLOW our dreams or SETTLE for less!

This is one of my greatest concerns about our young people. Yes, there are examples of young people that are doing some incredible things with their lives. But, my guess - and that's all it is - would be that for every one of THOSE teens there are likely ten others that have already settled into a lifestyle of accepting mediocrity for their lives.

The struggle for us all in trying to correct this problem (with our young people - we'll get to you and me next) is in trying to help our young people understand that, indeed, the WORLD lies open and waiting for them! That, at their young age, they can accomplish SO much! That, at their age, they have the time to mess up several times and still recover! That, IN this age that we live in there is likely more opportunity available for them than ever before in the history of our world.

But, what kind of example are WE (yeah, this is the "me and you" part I just talked about) setting for them in this area? Let's look at the things I just mentioned that our young people need to understand and notice that WE, too, need to understand the same things:

1. The WORLD lies open and waiting for YOU! Regardless of your age, this fact is true. Remember, stop making excuses (disguised as "reasons") and look around.

2. At YOUR age, you can accomplish SO much! This is NOT true only for young people. Age really doesn't have a lot to do with it IF you understand and realize point 1: The world lies open and waiting for YOU.

3. At YOUR age, you have the time to mess up several times and still recover! Now, granted, the younger you are the better this is for you. But let me ask you this question: How old are you now and how many times have you really messed up already? Oh, and let me ask you this one, too: Are you still here? Remember, "As long as there is breath there is hope!"

4. IN this age that we live in there is likely more opportunity available for YOU than ever before in the history of our world. You see, this one fact removes the age barrier for the most part. This one fact removes the geographical barrier BIG TIME! As I have mentioned lately on my podcast, if you have the ability to listen to my podcast and/or to be reading this blog, then you have access to some of the greatest tools that can open up GREAT AREAS OF SUCCESS in your life. Regardless of who you are, where you are and how old or young you are.

One of the quotes I use in today's podcast is from Ayn Rand and it is the following: "The quickest way to kill the human spirit is to ask someone to do mediocre work."

Now, along with that, I'd like to include another quote because I think they go "hand-in-hand" with one another. This one is from Scott Alexander which says, "All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy."

Too many of us have sought out the EASY in our lives and, because of this, have allowed and settled for mediocrity in our lives! WAKE UP!

Chances are that if you feel empty, lifeless and in a dead-end situation that you have allowed and settled for mediocrity in your life.

Yes, some people actually seek out the easiest, least demanding job that they can find. It doesn't matter to them that it is also the least PAYING job and that they can be replaced by just about ANY "Joe Mamma" on the street - it's easy and that is exactly what they seek.

Many companies use these mind-numbing (and often "butt-numbing"!) tasks to weed people out. Yes, these tasks are likely necessary and must be done. But, again, ANYONE can do them and many times companies will start workers off to see who will rise above and who will settle. Kind of like the example given last week about a glass of water with impurities. And it's like the proverbial example of the "cream rising to the top"...SEPARATION!

We are going to be continuing this discussion for the rest of this week and I encourage you to take an inventory - an HONEST one - of your mindset and your attitude as you consider these thoughts. Could it be that YOU have settled for less and, by doing so, settled for mediocrity?

YOU ARE BETTER THAN THAT and don't you ever forget it!

Desire to "rise above" and, as you do so...

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

Mike

You Can't WHAT?

"You Can't WHAT?"

I love that little poster up there. It's so true and factual yet, many of us still live by the mantra of, "I can't."

You're kidding, right?

How many of these have you used or ARE using currently: "I'm too young. I'm too old. I'm too fat. I'm too skinny. I'm too dumb. I'm too smart. I'm a male. I'm a female. I live in the North. I live in the South. I live in the East. I live in the West. I live outside of the U.S.A. I live IN the U.S.A. I'm poor. I'm under- educated. I'm over-educated. I'm too pretty. I'm too ugly. I'm handicapped....."

Oh, I'm sure I left some out. My guess is that some of you have even said in your mind, "Well, MY reason is not there...I'm too _________________!"

Really?

For any and every "reason" (by the way, these are EXCUSES that we have "dressed up" as reasons) that we want to give there is someone that IS following their dream in spite of that "reason". Every one of them.

If you want to have your eyes opened to your pitiful excuses - yeah, I'm getting THAT blunt today - then do an internet search on the name Rick Vujicic and watch some of the videos about his remarkable stories. Type in the name Bethany Hamilton, the teenager who had plans of becoming a professional surfer before having her arm ripped off by a shark. Do you think she just gave up?

And there are many, many more that can really make us take a serious look at our life of "I can't!"

You see, these two examples (and again, there are many more) are of people that DID have a really strong "reason" to say, "I can't" on a LOT of matters! But instead, they have boldly declared, "YES I CAN!"

There are so many of us that have gotten lulled into a life of mediocrity by following the life of "I can't". We have settled for less because we have told ourselves - for whatever "reason" (EXCUSE!) - "I can't follow my dreams."

Look at that picture at the top of this entry again. "Someone is always doing something that someone else said was impossible!"

As with everything else - this one is 100% totally up to YOU!

Isn't it time that you stopped whining and complaining about why you CAN'T and started stepping up and boldly declaring that you CAN in spite of what may be "wrong" in your life?

Better yet, why not get in contact with Rick and/or Bethany and you tell THEM why you can't.

Kinda' puts it in perspective, doesn't it?

Follow your dreams or settle for less. What will YOU do?

And, as you go through your day, be sure to remember...

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

Mike

Fuel For Your Future!

"Fuel For Your Future!"

Negativity attacks all of us each and every day, doesn't it? Sometimes we are successful in our battle to keep it from having an impact on our mindset and our lives but then there are the times that we don't do so well.

The example I used on today's podcast was comparing it to germs. We can do all within our power to stay healthy - take vitamins, cover our mouths when we cough, wash our hands often, get plenty of rest, etc. - but, sometimes, even in spite of our best efforts we still catch a cold.

So, what do we do with the negativity that gets through our "invisible force field" anyway? Will we allow it to sink us OR is there a way to use it to our advantage?

I've include the following link on the Fan Page for Future You University (why not join the fan page while you are there?) - http://www.facebook.com/FutureYouUniversity

This is the story of a man that was belittled by a teacher when he was a small boy. Here's what she told him: "You are an exhibition of failure, and all the children in the school need to know about you, because this is what happens if you don't listen to me, children."

Isn't that a terrible thing for ANY adult to say to a child? The story doesn't tell HOW his mother found out, but we all know that mother's DO find these things out. My guess is that he didn't come home and tell her but that she could tell something was wrong just by looking at him. Mother's have a way of doing that, don't they? And, don't you know he had to be feeling pretty low after that?

Now, the mother and child had a few choices of how to handle the situation. I know you can run through some of those and even what YOU would have done in this situation and the story doesn't tell us if the mother did use any of those other options or not. However, the story DOES tell us one major thing the mother DID do!

In the story, the boy - now a man - was told this by his mother: "You are now going to continue to make small things. If you keep making small things, your name will get bigger!" She also told him, "The smaller your work, the bigger your name."

The man, Willard Wigan, now creates"micro art" sculptures (read all about it in the article I mentioned) which sell for up to $150,000!

What an inspirational story! What a wonderful and wise mother! What an example of using the negative to FUEL HIS FUTURE!

The reason I have the picture of trash burning for this article is simply this: Use the negative "garbage" that comes your way to fuel YOUR future!"

Instead of allowing it to bring you down (the intent of negativity - do not forget that!) use it to inspire you and drive you to success!

How many times have you heard a successful person say something along the lines of, "They told me I couldn't do it" or "They told me I'd never amount to anything" and they used this to drive them to success?

So, yes, do your very best to block out the negativity so that it cannot have a negative impact on your mindset and life.

BUT - not if - when it DOES seep through, use that negative garbage as a way to fuel YOUR future! Burn it! Allow the heat and energy that comes from burning that garbage to provide you the energy to propel you towards success!

I like it!

Don't you?

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

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

Mike