Happy Birthday to Me

"Like" Future You University on Facebook!

 

 

O.k., let me first of all make sure you know that this is NOT going to be a self-indulgent blog article, o.k.? O.K.! Good!

 

However, it IS about the fact that I turned 53 years old on Saturday, November 1st. Why is this significant to anyone else but me and some friends and family that are close to me? Well, it may not be significant to you in the same way that it is to those that I just mentioned but it SHOULD BE significant to you as well.

 

Why?

 

Because, regardless of when your birthday is, five years have passed by for you regardless of you age, as well! (That is, of course, unless you are a child prodigy that is only 4 years old and able to read this!).

 

For most of us, our goals are set according to: 1) New Years Resolutions or 2) a certain age in our life. Am I right? (Go ahead and say it, "Yes, Mike, you are right!").

 

I mentioned on my latest video-cast that I had several goals set for myself that I had planned to reach by the time I turned 50 (feel free to insert YOU age/number here). And, guess what? Although I have made some progress toward some of those goals, I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET!

 

I can't yell at the calendar and tell it to "SLOW DOWN! I'M NOT READY YET!" It doesn't work...have you tried it? If not, go ahead and try it...really, go ahead. You'll see I'm right about this, too!

 

(Hey, it's my birthday, I have a right to be RIGHT. Right?)

 

So, now let's start talking about what YOU (and I) are going to do about it - or what YOU (and I) ARE doing about it, o.k.?

 

We'll go there next and I'd love to get YOUR story of either success or failure in this area. Don't worry, I won't use your name  - even a first name - unless you ask me to.

 

Key point: NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!

 

So, "Happy Birthday to Me!"...now, excuse me while I go get some of that cake! And, until the next time, be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike



 

CHANGE: Some You CAN'T Change!

"CHANGE: Some You CAN'T Change!"

In my last two blog articles and podcasts I've shared some thoughts concerning CHANGES. Wow, even though the word, "change" has six letters it sure can come across as a FOUR-LETTER WORD, can't it?

Before I go any further, let me list once again four different categories of the types of changes that we encounter 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.

In my last discussion we covered the first one listed - changes that we voluntarily bring on ourselves. If you haven't done so, you might want to go back and read that blog article as well as listen to the podcast that goes with it. You can access that podcast via my website: http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ .... just click on video podcast and then click on the iTunes icon or the RSS feed icon.

Today I'd like to talk about that second category - changes that come regardless of what we do or don't want but that are not "against" us...or at least not purposely so.

Hey, let's face it, there are some changes that come in our life that is just a part of LIVING life, right?

You can move around the country all you want to avoid the changing seasons but, whether we like it or not or whether we want it or not, the seasons DO change! I do enjoy the change from one to the other but I don't like the extreme heat and I don't enjoy the winter months for very long. Thankfully, since I live in Arkansas the winter months are not too severe and do not last long compared to other parts of the country. But, for me, once it snows one time I'm ready for Spring to arrive!

But you know what? I can complain and whine all I want and it's not going to CHANGE a thing concerning these changes. I can gripe and complain about the change in the fall and spring with the time (spring forward, fall back...or is it, uh....) but it won't do me any good if I choose to stay living in this part of the country.

But, you know what? For some, these changes DO have an adverse affect on them and there IS something that those people CAN do to change this impact upon them. MOVE!

Seriously, these things CAN be changed to your favor to some extent if you really need them to. For example, we have some older friends that now live in Arizona due to the wife having terrible arthritis. When they lived here in Arkansas her arthritis was TERRIBLE due to the humidity here but, when they would go out to Arizona for the winter her arthritis would improve greatly. So, although she couldn't get rid of her arthritis (another change that we cannot do much about or get rid of) she COULD improve her situation by living in Arizona. And that is exactly what they did - they moved to Arizona.

The same is true concerning the changing of the time. It has been proven that many suffer from greater bouts of depression during the winter months due to the extended darkness and the effects of "cabin fever" from having to stay indoors too much. These people can also improve their situation by moving to a different area of the country or world that either does not follow the time change patterns or that is in a warmer climate with extended day light hours.

So, you see, even with those changes that come our way without our choosing them, we can STILL do SOMETHING to help out IF we need to do so.

Or we can continue to whine and complain.

Shall we talk about the changes that come with getting older? Aches and pains WILL come along with fading eyesight and other problems.

It's a fact of life but there are SOME things we can do to improve our health instead of just giving up. Will we STOP these things from happening in our life? NO. But we can delay them or reduce the impact of them in and on our lives.

So, as you would think I would say about this, even if we don't have a choice in this area of CHANGE we DO have a choice concerning the IMPACT of this change.

Just give it some thought when you find yourself getting discouraged and/or complaining about such things and ask yourself if there is ANYTHING you can do to improve the situation.

I bet there is and I bet you can come up with some things if you really want to do so.

Should we even BEGIN to talk about gas prices?

That will have to wait until some other time, friend but, until then, whatever you do, wherever you are, be sure to...

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

Mike

ENJOY Your Age! (Regardless of What it Is!)

Wow, this whole "fear of getting old" thing really got me going this week, didn't it? For my "Thankful Thursday" podcast I went totally "Mike" on you with no input from Napoleon Hill's book, "Think & Grow Rich".

Why?

Well, for one, he didn't have that much to say about the topic (and I did) and, secondly, I just know that a lot of people use this "I'm too old" excuse as simply that - AN EXCUSE to cease living and blessing the lives of others!

Stop using this (or ANY) excuse and step out there and start living your life TODAY!

You know, sometimes fear can be a good thing! What? Sure it can! IF that fear drives us to productive ACTION - then it can serve as the "kick in the pants" that we may need.

Here's what I mean. For example, if "the fear of getting old" is in place because you fear not having enough money to survive then USE THAT FEAR to step out there and DO SOMETHING about it! You have the wisdom, experience and ability to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN in your life that you've never allowed yourself to do - why not now?

Here's something in my podcast that I challenged everyone to write down and say aloud each and every day - "I like ME and I like BEING me!" - yes, this means regardless of your age. Don't allow others to tell you who you are and how you should act, dress, talk, etc. based on THEIR expectations! YOU be YOU - regardless of your age. YOU have much to offer to the world - so share your life and all the experiences that have come in your life and share you love that has grown in your life because of the life that you have lived.

And, above all...

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

Mike

SYMPTOMS of the FEAR of GETTING OLD

No, I'm not talking about "signs that you're getting old" such as:
- Your back goes out more than you do
- Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt doesn't work.
- The gleam in your eyes is from the sun hitting your bifocals.
- You feel like the morning after and you haven't been anywhere.
- Your little black book contains only names that end in M.D.
- You look forward to a dull evening
- You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
- Your knees buckle, and your belt won't.
- Your Pacemaker makes the garage doors go up when you see a pretty girl.
- The little old gray haired lady you helped across the street is your wife.
- You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.

O.k., o.k....that's enough of that. But MAYBE you were able to smile a little bit even if you ARE worried about getting older. Hey, listen friend - getting older is just part of life. Do you REALLY want to live forever? Really? Think about that.

Here's what I always wonder about "stories" similar to this that you may read in a book or watch in a movie. If that person doesn't age then how come they're always older than a baby? See what I mean? What age would be THE age that you'd wish to stay forever?

Nope, not me! I remember when I was a teenager I'd hear people say, "These are the best years of your life!" and I would think - "Then shoot me now!"

But, for now, in keeping with today's podcast, let's notice the symptoms of the fear of getting older as is mentioned in chapter 15 of Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich".

1. The tendency to slow down and develop an inferiority complex at the age of mental maturity - falsely believing one's self to be "slipping" because of age.
Wow, do YOU ever do that? Do you ever begin to feel that you "can't keep up" because of your age? And what IS that age when that happens for/to you? Perhaps in your job you have this fear amplified due to the "younger" people that are out to "take over" (perhaps that is in your own mind?). Remember, YOU have the advantage in experience and, hopefully, wisdom! "Book-learning" isn't everything and you know that!

2. The habit of speaking apologetically of one's self as "being old" merely because one has reached the age of forty, or fifty, instead of reversing the rule and expressing the gratitude for having reached the age of wisdom and understanding.
Do you fall into this trap?Again, as is often said, "age is just a number". Now, I know that you DO age as you get older, but the idea behind that little saying is also expressed in this one - "You are as old/young as you feel!". Isn't that true? Why should we allow a number which simply states how long we have been alive dictate how we act and feel? There is simply no reason for it at all. Again, it is a mindset which we CAN control - it is up to YOU!

3. The habit of killing off initiative, imagination and self-reliance by falsely believing one's self too old to exercise these qualities.
Do you know how many men and women reach their greatest achievements after the ages of 40 or 50? Do some research on that. Check and see what the ages were of some of our greatest inventors. Don't get caught up in the thought and idea that it is only the "young" that have the ability to be creative or to take initiative. Sure, there are plenty of them out there and they get a lot of attention - but I can promise you that there are MANY "older" men and women that are accomplishing great and mighty things. I mentioned Jack Lalanne in my podcast today and the article about him in a recent edition of Success magazine. If you want to read some amazing information about what this man accomplished at ages that most would be content to sit in a rocking chair, then check out the link that will take you to that article:
http://www.successmagazine.com/founding-father-of-fitness/PARAMS/article/684

4. The habit of the man or woman of forty dressing with the aim of trying to appear much younger, and affecting mannerisms of youth; thereby inspiring ridicule by both friends and strangers.
Now, I understand what Mr. Hill is saying here, but I will share with you some opposing thoughts in a moment. But, let's address this first. To me, one thing that we can notice is that things have definitely changed since the time that this book was written. Sure, many still struggle with the idea that they are "old" at the age of forty. However, for the most part, it seems to me as if that number has been pushed "upward" by quite a few years. But, let's address the thought here. Yes, I have seen men and women that were trying to look much younger than they were and what they actually accomplished was simply looking ridiculous (a form of the word "ridicule" used by Mr. Hill). Perhaps it's the man that goes through his "mid-life crisis" and dons a ridiculous looking hair piece, buys a fancy, convertible sports car and begins to hang out at clubs frequented by people 20 - 30 years younger than he. (By the way, I have nothing against hair pieces! But I think you know what I mean.) OR perhaps it is the lady that drastically changes her whole wardrobe to try to dress like those much younger than she as well as hanging out at the same type clubs mentioned above.
Here's my take on all of this. DRESS IN A WAY THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY! Don't try to dress so that you "look younger" than you are or don't try to dress so that you are dressed "age appropriately". See what I mean? When we do that we are allowing others to decide for us how we should or shouldn't dress. Society - for whatever reason - seems to be a little easier on males in this respect than they are on females. I have noticed over the years that a lot of people would tell women that, when they reach a certain age (perhaps 40?) then their hair should be worn a certain way, the length of the hem of their dress should be a certain length and on and on it goes. I have seen many women look MUCH OLDER than they actually were due to this fact. WHY?

BE YOU! Today is the only day that you have at your disposal. Disposal. Think about that for a second! It cannot be recycled. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. So, how will YOU choose to live your day. Will you live in fear of the fact that this one day does, indeed, make you one day older? Why not live today enjoying it for what it has to offer and for what YOU can "squeeze" out of it and do not worry about your age?

Remember this: "TODAY is the TOMORROW that you worried about YESTERDAY!"

So, again, it's today and, in my opinion, you should celebrate who you are TODAY as well as celebrate this stage of your life - REGARDLESS of the number attached to it.

Live. Love. Laugh.

And, as always....

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

Mike

"The FEAR of GETTING OLD"

Do you remember when you were a teenager and what the definition of "old" was then? What was it for you - 20? 25? I'd say with certainty that, at that time in your life anyone that was 40 was "over the hill"!

I remember that I could not wait until I reached the age of 13 - to be a teenager.
Then, I couldn't wait until I reached the age of 14 - the age that I could get my driver's permit.
Then, I couldn't wait until I reached the age of 16 - the age at which I could drive by myself.
Then, I couldn't wait until I reached the age of 18 - just because it seemed to be an age that I was supposed to be an "adult" to some extent.
So, not age now, but I couldn't wait until I graduated high school - then college.
Then I couldn't' wait until I got married - then couldn't wait to have our first child.
Then I couldn't wait until he began to walk and talk.....and then from that point on it seemed like everything began to fly by way too fast!

Now, I'm 49 and will be 50 in November. I've been married for a little over 27 years. That first child, Jacob is now 25 and will have been married for 3 years on July 29th - tomorrow as I type this. My second son, Jeremy, is now 22 and has been married for a year as of the 11th of this month and my youngest son, Jordan is 18 and will begin his Senior year of High School (no, he didn't flunk - we just kept him out until he "had" to go - teachers have agreed with us that, for boys, this was a good thing to do).

You know, if I wanted to, I could look at all of that and really let it get me down. You know, I could allow myself to think stuff like, "WHERE HAS MY LIFE GONE?" I could really get melancholy over the fact that so much in my life has changed and it feels like - at times - that it has done so very quickly.

But....instead...I look at all of that and I am proud of what I have accomplished in my life up to this point! I am proud of the 27 years that I have been married to my wife, Janan. Has it been perfect - no. But it's been good! I'm proud of the fine young men that all 3 of my sons have grown up to be and am proud of the wonderful young ladies that my two oldest sons have chosen as their wives.

Sure, I do get a little misty-eyed at times when I look at pictures of the boys when they were young and I had dark hair as I carried them around on my back, or played ball with them in the yard. That's natural.

BUT...I have a choice on how I allow this to impact my life and my days! I LOVE MY LIFE! I love my age even though there are times that I am reminded that I cannot do some of the things I could do in days past. For example, I have a pair of glasses at my house, next to my chair. I have a pair of glasses at my office and (my wife really got a kick out of this) I had to buy another pair to carry with me on my motorcycle because I could read the map without them!

Sure, I know that - for the most part - my life is just about half way over. But why think about that? Why worry about that? I also know that now - at this stage in my life - I am enjoying things that I was not able to enjoy before! My wife and I are experiencing the ability to do things that we could not do when our sons were small and dependent on mom and dad for everything. Financially I am able to enjoy and do things that I could not do just a few short years ago. Do I still struggle at time? Yes! Am I set for life? No! But I live each day and I am trying to live each day to the full!

What about you? Do you dread your birthdays? Do you focus on what you cannot regain that you used to possess (your youth, for example)?

It's all in your mindset, my friend. It's up to you!

In the podcast for Wednesday we will discuss what Napoleon Hill lists as the "Symptoms of the Fear of Getting Old" but, for now....think about your day TODAY! And, as I mention in most all of my podcasts, always remember this fact: "As long as there is breath, there is hope!"

Celebrate your life. Today. Now. It's yours!

And, always remember -

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

Mike