The EVIDENCE of FAITH

Today is "Thankful Thursday"...Be aware and EXPRESS your thanks TODAY!

If you've not been following the blog this week, be sure to go back and catch up beginning with Monday's article - each article this week has built and been an extension of the previous day's article.

Although I've been mostly using the Bible's definition of faith found in Hebrews 11:1, ("Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.") I have been making applications about our experiences as we try to get closer to reaching our goals and dreams. Is there a spiritual application to be made? Absolutely! And I will be sharing some thoughts on that in Friday's article entitled, "The APPLICATION of Faith".

Yesterday we discussed the SUBSTANCE of FAITH and realized that faith is NOT "careless living" and even though faith does not demand proof there is SUBSTANCE behind the actions we take based on our faith. Again, if you've not read yesterday's article, be sure to do so in order to get the "connection" between the two.

According to that Biblical definition shared above, not only is there SUBSTANCE to faith but there is also EVIDENCE involved. Remember, I'll be discussing the spiritual aspects of this on Friday, but even for today's thoughts some of you may have a hard time connecting the idea of "evidence" with "faith".

Let me ask you a question that hopefully will clarify this dilemma. Why would ANYONE jump out of a perfectly good airplane - especially for fun??? Yeah, it's called "parachuting" and people do it all of the time. Believe it or not, even though I am very afraid of heights, there is a part of me that wants to experience this before I die. Thing is, I'm worried I just might die of a heart attack from the shock as soon as I am pushed out of that plane! (That's right - PUSHED!).

Are you 100% sure that the parachute is going to open? NOPE.  Is there a chance that it WON'T open or that it won't open correctly and that you could either be killed or seriously injured? YUP!

So, jumping out of an airplane, even WITH a parachute on your back, demands a bit of faith on your part, does it not? And, that FAITH is based on the EVIDENCE that, more often than not, the parachute WILL WORK! If you really don't believe that it will open - if you don't have FAITH that it will open - you will NEVER jump out of that plane unless you're more certain that you will die if you remain ON that plane. Right?

So it is as we move toward our goals and dreams. Even though it may seem like a far stretch (remember, it IS important to push ourselves and to "stretch" with these endeavors) for you to achieve whatever it is that you have set up as your goal/dream, you do it anyway.  However, along with the SUBSTANCE that we discussed yesterday, there should also be some EVIDENCE to go along with your faith or belief that you can and/or WILL achieve success.

Chances are that you have been shown or have seen others that have done the same thing that you are trying to accomplish and they have been successful in doing so. They don't just TALK about it, they've DONE it!

Is there any guarantee that the same success awaits you? NOPE. Is there a chance that you will fall short of your goals/dreams and that you could even lose some or a lot of money along the way and fail miserably? YUP.

But, based on the SUBSTANCE that we talked about yesterday, mixed in with the EVIDENCE that we have talked about today, you still have to step out on FAITH, believing that this, too, can be true for you IF you are willing to put out the effort necessary (the evidence of others will point this out to you) to make it happen.

So, yes, even with SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE, moving in this way still demands FAITH!

I'd love to hear your comments about this topic and on what has been shared this week. You can contact me directly via e-mail (mike@futureyouuniversity.com) OR via the website (http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ or http://www.michaelspillman.com/ ) or by leaving a message here on this blog OR by leaving a message on our fan page (www.facebook.com/futureyouuniversity) . I really would prefer you to leave it on the fan page but I would love to hear from you in any of these ways.

I hope you'll join me again tomorrow as I make the spiritual application to all of this. Until then, as you go through your day, be sure to...

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

Mike

The SUBSTANCE of FAITH

Today is "WIDE-OPEN WEDNESDAY"! It's "wide-open" for YOU to take that leap of FAITH!

Faith vs. Reason. Is that the way it has to be when we talk about FAITH?  I'd say "yes" and "no".

There IS a solid place in our lives for "reason". There are decisions that we make in our lives that MUST involve reason or "reasoning", and well thought out reasoning at that!

So, right off, please don't misinterpret what it is that I'm going to say in today's article. By NO MEANS am I saying that you need to throw "reason/reasoning" out the door. Too many people already misunderstand the idea of "stepping out in faith" and have made some very foolish (and harmful) moves in their lives.

FAITH IS NOT CARELESS LIVING! Make sure you get that point. As a matter of fact, if you'll go back to yesterday's podcast and blog article you'll remember that, according to the Biblical definition found in Hebrews 11:1, "...faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen."

SUBSTANCE and EVIDENCE. Understanding this will help prevent careless living and careless decisions.

It almost makes my head spin when I think of how many people I hear say something along the lines of, "Well, you gotta' have faith!" or "Sometimes you just have to step out in faith" or even, "Sometimes you just have to JUMP!"

Again, please don't misunderstand. YES, there comes a time when ALL of these phrases are necessary and TRUE! But, first, make sure you have the SUBSTANCE and the EVIDENCE that is used in the very definition of faith before you make that jump.

THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR:

How much "weight" does this "passion" of yours carry? Another way to ask that is simply, "How IMPORTANT is this passion of yours?" How DETERMINED are you to achieve this goal or dream? Do you have what it takes to stick it out until you reach your goal? Do you have what it takes to carry it out and fulfill it once you achieve it?

Let me use an example from an old television show called, "The Beverly Hillbillies". Do you remember Jethro? (How can you FORGET Jethro if you ever saw the show?). Let's just say that ol' Jethro wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, o.k.? Do you remember what it was that Jethro wanted to have as a profession? Here we go - a BRAIN SURGEON. Of course, the comedic aspect of this was that there was no way in the world that Jethro would ever be able to become a brain surgeon! So, in my way of thinking, there was NO SUBSTANCE to his plan. Make sense?

Yes, it is important to STRETCH and CHALLENGE ourselves in our attempts to better our lives. Think just a moment about those last few words in the previous sentence... "better our lives". If we plan to BETTER our lives then it DEMANDS that we do something DIFFERENT so that we don't keep it the same, right? Doing something DIFFERENT demands a different mindset and approach which means we must "stretch" and challenge ourselves in order to do so.

But, at the same time (and this is part of the "reasoning") our goals and dreams must have "substance" in that it is something that we can actually achieve. Make sense? Hey, I love the NBA but at 52 years of age and also due to my lack of ability there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD that I can become a member of a professional basketball team in the NBA...no matter HOW MUCH I want it or regardless of how many pictures I put up on my "dream board".

Now, once you figure something out that has "substance" for your life (a real passion and something that you feel that you were BORN TO DO) then, YES, stretch yourself and be surprised at how far PAST your expections you landed.

I hope this makes sense...give me some feedback, o.k.?

Tomorrow we will discuss the second part of this "faith equation"... EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. But, until then, whatever you and wherever you go, be sure to...

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

Mike

Let Me Introduce Myself...

Today is "Magical Monday"...Share the magic with those around you!

Perhaps the more correct title of today's podcast and blog would be, "Let me RE-introduce myself." I mean, after all, if you've followed me for very long you have a pretty good idea of who I am and how I operate. If not, you can go to my website, http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/ , and read about the background of what I'm doing as well as my thoughts and plans.

I began my "adult life" as a youth minister back in 1982 and even was doing some work among youth groups before I graduated college. Since 1982 I have worked with teens and adults in a variety of positions and have always had a passion for sharing information and making it as interesting and relevant as possible. I also knew that, at some point, I wanted to change direction and step out with my own seminars that would be developed so as to encourage and uplift my audiences.

After developing some friends that liked my comments on another website I began my own podcast on March 2, 2009 and began doing my blog not too long afterwards. However, I intentionally planned NOT to bring "too much religion" in on my discussions thinking it might allow me to reach a larger audience with positive messages that had their "backing" in Scripture, all the while not coming across as too "preachy".

Here's the deal...where has that gotten me after almost three years? NOT VERY FAR!

Oh, I do have some followers and, part of the problem has been some inconsistency on my part due to some problems that I have deemed "beyond my control" in some ways. But, bottom line, I feel that something has been missing and I believe that the "something" has been the MEAT to the MESSAGE!

So, I'm not going to refrain from using thoughts and scriptures that I know fit what I'm talking about so that I may keep from "offending" anyone or so that I can supposedly have a "larger" audience. It's way past time for me to be me - ALL of me - and just do what I do as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Might I lose some followers? Maybe. If so, that is a choice that a person must make for themselves. Here's the deal... I'm the same guy as before so why stop following what I do because I am now going to be more outspoken and open about the foundations from which I get these principles?

Zig Ziglar once talked about how his career as a motivator "took off" once he got God involved in the discussion. I had the pleasure of hearing Jim Rohn speak on several occasions and, if you know anything about what he shared, he based the majority of his thoughts on Scripture.

IF YOU APPRECIATE WHAT I'M SAYING please let me know! I need your support and I need to know that this is something that you agree with whole-heartedly. If you don't, you can still let me know but, honestly, it's not necessary. Just do what you have to do.

So, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mike Spillman and I am a proud husband, father, grandfather, motivator, writer and Christian. It's nice to meet you.

Whatever you do, where ever you go, be sure to...

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

Mike

On Your Mark, Get Set...GO!

On Your Mark...Get Set...GO!

It's time. I've been talking and planning on trying to get back to a more consistent schedule with my podcasts and it's finally time to stop talking and start talking.

Yeah. It's time to stop talking ABOUT it and start talking AS PART of it! Know what I mean?

So, beginning Monday, January 9, 2012, I am starting - once again - to get back to my DAILY, 5 minute podcast (daily being Monday - Friday).

What does tht mean as far as my blog?

What I plan to do is a "week in review" blog post where I give a summary of the podcasts topics for the past week instead of a blog entry every day about that particular day's topic.

My current job simply makes it hard to do both and I am recording podcasts 10-15 days in advance in order to do this -- BUT I AM DETERMINED TO GET BACK ON TRACK with my efforts!

Please let me hear from you as you listen to the podcast and/or read the blog.

Thanks!

And remember...

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

Mike

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

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

What Is It To Be 'Content'?

"What is it to be 'Content'?"

I briefly discussed the "spiritual struggle" that some may have with the idea of desiring something better in and for their lives. Many times they will go to the verse in the Bible where the apostle, Paul states that he is CONTENT in whatever state (situation/condition) he finds himself in at the time (Philippians 4:11).

I'm not going to get into a deep, religious discussion on this but I DO want you to understand that the concept of desiring something better is NOT contradictory to this finding in the Bible!

What you find if you examine the context (the thoughts that surround this one verse and statement) is that Paul had realized that, regardless of the situation - whether good or bad - it's o.k.! When things are going particularly well, don't get carried away and think it will always be that way and, even when things are anything BUT good, the same is also true...don't get carried away and think it will always be this way.

IT'S NOT THE END OF THE STORY!

Again, there is a real spiritual message being shared here that I won't go into in this blog. However, if any of you would like more thoughts on this, just drop me an e-mail at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

But, here's the deal, friend, for ALL of us to understand. It is in our very nature to desire something better for ourselves and for our loved ones.

And - HERE'S THE KICKER - if you find yourself in a "down cycle" and things just aren't going well for you - DON'T GET CARRIED AWAY and think that you are destined to a life of misery.

BE CONTENT. Huh?

Understand that this is not the end of the world. Understand that you CAN better your life if you so desire. Understand that you don't have to "give up" and accept your current situation as something that sucks the very life OUT of your life!

But, hey, while you are here, take a look around. THIS is a big part of contentment!

Are there loved ones around you? Are there people that love you? Are there friends that care about you? Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have clothes on your back? Do you have food to eat? Do you have smiles shared with you? Are you able to read this? Are you able to listen to the sounds around you?

I could go on and on, couldn't I? But I hope you get the point.

It's EASY for us to loose our focus on what we DO have and put all of that focus on what we DON'T have!

Being content is the act of realizing that, even though things may not be the way I want them to be at the moment, I have much to be thankful for and I NEED to GIVE THANKS for those positive things in my life.

Remember my main "saying"?

"As long as there is breath, there is hope!"

How true that is for all of us and how often we all need to be reminded.

I know I do!

You see, things are not how I want them to be in my life right now. They haven't been for quite some time and, if you've followed me on this "journey" then you already know what I'm referring to when I say this.

But, I HAVE NOT given up and I WILL NOT give up!

But, (and it IS hard for me to do this, o.k.) I DO need to be "content" and notice the powerful and positive things around me each and every day.

Do I plan to stay in this current situation? NO!

But I can't miss the joy and the blessing that is here, even now, in this current "down cycle".

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Being content does NOT mean that you have to settle for less or for where you are. But it DOES mean that you are thankful for who/what you have WHILE you are here.

So, yeah, I can say and YOU can say, "Whatever the situation, I've learned to be content."

And, as you soak in that thought always be sure to...

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

Mike

"When the Going Gets Tough" - Part 5

"The 3 R's of Change: Retreat, Regroup, Rethink"

Yesterday we looked at the first "R" of "The 3 R's of Change" when we examined the thoughts behind the word, "RETREAT".

Again, the word "retreat" DOES NOT mean surrender! Do NOT forget that and do NOT confuse that point. It is vitally important to your success as you move on with your decision to "get up and get going" again.

Think of this analogy as we consider "The 3 R's of Change"...

This example is true whether you are talking about college football or the pros (it's also true in basketball as well as other sports) - there is a halftime for a reason.

Halftime gives each team a chance to RETREAT, REGROUP and RETHINK!

When that horn or whistle blows signifying that the first half is over and done with, each team retreats to the locker room. Have they given up? Have they forfeited the game by leaving the court? NO!

They have simply "retreated" so that they can "regroup" and "rethink" before beginning play in the second half of the game.

Now think about this - even if everything has been going in their favor the whole first half of the game the players still need to regroup! Perhaps someone needs to have an ankle taped or they all need to rehydrate and catch their breath before going back at it again.

And, even if everything has been going in their favor the coaches STILL need to "rethink" what has gone on and decide if they want to keep doing the exact same thing (that has been working) OR change it up a little bit to throw the opposing team off of their guard a little bit more.

Now, let's go to the other locker room. Let's go to the locker room where NOTHING seems to have been going in their favor for the first half of the game. They were HAPPY to have the chance to retreat to the locker room before things go any worse! They were HAPPY to have the chance to "regroup" and "rethink" what has been going wrong with their game plan.

They may need to completely scrap their original game plan and go with something different. Why? Because what they have been doing has not been working!

If you know anything about sports then you know what would happen if that team were to go back on the field without having changed their approach. You would hear a chorus of "boos" coming from their fans if they came out and did the exact same thing that WASN'T WORKING in the first half of the game!

And, likely, that coach would end up losing his job. Why? Because it is ridiculous to think that you can keep doing the same "proven-to-fail" methods over and over again and expect anything BUT failure as a result.

So, this may seem like an oversimplified analogy, but it is one that fits what we are talking about in a way that should help us all understand that this is something WE MUST DO if we plan to have different and better results when we face tough times.

Oh, and by the way, I discovered a 4th and very important "R" to go along with the first three - you don't want to miss it!

Until then...

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

Mike

"When the Going Gets Tough" - Part 2

"When the Going Gets Tough" - Part 2

As I continue with my thoughts on this topic of, "When the Going Gets Tough..." I do want to take just a moment and look at the thoughts we have already shared together to this point.

FIRST - The fact that things GET TOUGH is just a part of life! I'm sorry to burst your bubble if you didn't already know this but, if you've been lucky enough to live a "tough-free" life up to this point, then you need to prepare yourself because, sooner or later, THEY WILL GET TOUGH! Again, it's just a part of life and the "human experience".

SECOND - The ending part of this phrase, "When the going gets tough the tough get going." isn't always true for us, is it? Sure, we'd love it to be true any and every time we face touch challenges in our lives - but we just don't! And, because of that, many times we beat ourselves up with guilt because we feel week and inferior. Why? Because we are either trying to live up to someone else's expectations of us OR we are falling short of our own expectations in this area. Bottom line: we don't always handle things or face things the way we (or others) think that we should.

THIRD - We looked at one "ending" to this phrase by saying, "When the going gets tough you have to make some CHOICES!" And, in my book, you have only two choices - GIVE UP or GET UP. You can either roll up into a ball and give up OR you can keep fighting ahead with the attitude that you will NEVER, EVER GIVE UP! Hey, even that thought is kind of "rah rah", isn't it? I mean that thought is powerful but it doesn't always live up to the hype. I think it is because of the "image" we have in our minds associated with the idea of "never, ever giving up". But, regardless, the choice is your and you are currently following one of the two paths in your life. Which path are YOU following currently?

AND NOW FOR TODAY'S THOUGHTS - "When the going gets tough you probably need to make some CHANGES!"

This goes along with the "image" I mentioned in point 3 of this article that we often have in our minds when we think about the fact that we will NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!

I applaud your decision to never give up! I SUPPORT your decision to never give up! It is a decision that we all MUST make IF we really ever plan to move forward and make any progress in any area of our lives.

But, if you find yourself continually in difficult situations and things aren't changing the way that you think that they should then, perhaps, you need to make a CHANGE in the way you are approaching/attacking the situation.

We'll talk more about this in the next part of this series but, for now, just consider the "image" of NEVER GIVING UP that you may have in your head.

Is it an image of just pounding away and hitting "the problem" full on - head on - repeatedly until it caves in to your might?

How's that working out for you? (And I say that with a little smile on my face, by the way.)

Maybe it's time we made a change in our approach.

Think about it and, until next time...

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

Mike

When the Going Gets Tough - Introduction

"When the Going Gets Tough - Introduction"

A couple of things first before I get on to the discussion on today's topic, o.k.?

First of all - I'M BACK, BABY! Oops, sorry for the burst of enthusiasm there (actually, no, I don't really apologize for it!). But, after a 6.5 month lay off from doing my podcast and, in conjunction with it, my podcast on a "regular" basis I've decided it's time to get back on track and "do this thing!"

It was two years ago today (March 2, 2009) that I began my very first podcast on "Hope" so I thought it appropriate to get it going again on the anniversary of this occasion.

(Too, let me also say "Happy Birthday" to my son, Jeremy today!!)

Let me tell you about something new that I'm doing WITH my daily podcast that some of you MIGHT find helpful. While I record my podcast I am also now video taping it as well.

Yeah, that's right, now you get to WATCH my beautiful face while I do the podcast. The good news? IT'S YOUR CHOICE! So, if you decide to do so... all bets are off, o.k.?

Now, that being said, I'm going to mention something about it before someone fusses about the "low tech" approach to the video. Hey, just watch the first one with this topic and you'll see what I'm talking about. Go to my YouTube channel to check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/moustachemike?feature=mhum

Anyway, I start the thing out holding up a piece of paper with the "podcast logo" on it. Awesome, huh? Here's the deal. I have a real problem transferring these videos onto my "movie maker" without it freezing up on me. When I am able to use the "movie maker" I can add graphics (such as an actual "podcast logo graphic") as well as overlay website addresses, etc. on the video.

HOWEVER, when I try to do this with a video that is not broken down (like I had to do with my series on "The Promise of Hope") it freezes up and is unable to be used. So, at least for now until I get something else figured out, I need to just upload the video without using any kind of "movie maker" program. So, it's not "high tech" as far as visually BUT I do think it's of value "content-wise".

Here's a free little life lesson for you that connects with this: "PRETTY stuff doesn't always mean it's GOOD stuff!" Right? 'Nuff said about that. Let's move on to the topic at hand for today.

"WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH THE TOUGH GET GOING"

We've all heard that one before, right? And though it is a good "motivational" phrase that may be able to encourage some, it's not always true, is it?

Simply put, what about in YOUR life? Is this always true? Hey, you can answer honestly because I nor anyone else reading this can hear your answer.

We may WANT it to be true. We may FEEL THE NEED for it to be true so that we can live up to someone else's expectation of us. We may WANT IT TO BE TRUE due to our OWN expectations that we place on ourselves.

But, bottom line, it's NOT always true. We DON'T always get up and get going. We DON'T always have this powerful mindset firmly in place so that it may propel us forward with "guns a'blazing".

How does that make you feel?

For those that may be reading or listening to my thoughts for the first time you will soon discover this to be true - I'm real. What I mean by that is that you won't find a lot of "fluff" here. Just honest and, hopefully encouraging, thoughts and ideas.

Hey, but even though I hope the things I share here are encouraging that doesn't mean that it won't "hurt" sometimes. THE TRUTH OFTEN HURTS, right?

So, for the next few podcast and blog posts, I'm going to examine the FIRST PART of this phrase and look at some possible "ending phrases" that we all look at whether we like it or not.

"When the going gets tough..."

Join me for my next podcast and blog entry as I share thoughts on one such ending to that phrase.

Oh, by the way, until my podcast gets finalized/approved over at iTunes, you can go here to here it (and I hope to have the rss feed button up on the right hand column of this blog very shortly):

http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml

Alright friends, I am glad to be back doing what I love and I hope you will join me as often as possible. Please feel free to leave comments here, on the fan page at Facebook, on the website (www.FutureYouUniversity.com) which can also be accessed by simply going to www.MichaelSpillman.com or by sending an e-mail to me at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

And, as always...

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

Mike

Week of July 12th - special message and link

Special Message and Link for the Week of July 12th

I will be gone on vacation for the week and won't be able to do a DAILY blog....HOWEVER, never fear!

I recorded my podcasts for this week in advance so I REALLY want to encourage you to be sure to listen to them and the additional thoughts I have on the material that I'm about to share with you here. (You can either find me on iTunes - search Mike Spillman OR Future You University....OR on the main website - http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com - click the podcast tab).

For this week I will be sharing thoughts on "5 Things That Will Make You Happier" from an article that was sent to me way back in February by one of my listeners, Mark Clark (thanks, Mark!).

You can find the actual listing and article by going here if you'd like to have the list to look over for yourself: http://www.livescience.com/health/how-to-be-happy-100222.html

Also during this week I will share with you a listing of all 50 states and their order of "MOST HAPPY STATES". Where does YOUR state rank? (You can actually cheat and look at the link that is connected with the story listed in the previous paragraph).

Anyway, be sure to follow along with the podcast and take a look at the link above and do a personal check-up in your own life on these five things!

And, don't forget...each and every day be sure to...

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

Mike

My Christmas Wish For You

My Christmas Wish For You!

First of all - MERRY CHRISTMAS! from my family to yours. May this be a special time for you, your family, your friends and those that you love!

In today's podcast I simply wanted to share the joy of some of the Christmas music I have been using for my podcast over the past couple of weeks by playing the full length versions of a couple of the songs. Once again, here is the link that has a LOT of free, downloadable Christmas music available for you: http://www.feelslikechristmas.com/

The two full-length songs used today (found on this sight under "traditional instrumental") are: We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Moscow Symphony Orchestra and Deck the Halls - John Morgan. I hope you enjoy listening to them.

SPECIAL NOTE: I made a mistake in today's podcast! No, it's not just a grammatical mistake - I make PLENTY of those! Some of you won't catch it, but many of you will and here's what I want to do: The FIRST person to send me an e-mail that correctly identifies the mistake that I'm talking about will receive a FREE T-shirt from http://www.PrepareTheFutureYou.com . Just send an e-mail to me at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com and let me know what the mistake was and, if you are the first to correctly identify it, I will let you know and get the information I need from you to send that to you.

My wish for you this Christmas is for PEACE and the PEACE OF MIND that comes from the SECURITY of knowing that you have taken control of your own destiny!

What a wonderful gift to give yourself, your family and those you love!

What a wonderful gift to share with anyone and everyone!

Again, Merry Christmas!

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

Mike

Take Control of Your OWN Destiny!

Take Control of Your OWN Destiny!

Questions to consider:

1. If you were your own boss - would you ever worry about getting fired?

2. If you were your own boss - would you ever worry about being "laid off"?

3. If you were your own boss - would you take the day off for your birthday? spouses birthday? your child's birthday?

4. If you were your own boss - would you be happy?

Yes, I understand that, one thing that must be taken into consideration, is the self-discipline that must exist in order for one to function as their own boss. But, let's worry about THAT task when we get to it, o.k.?

Today, we're talking about the need each of us have to "Take Control of Your OWN Destiny!" - and this can take on many different forms in our lives.

But, here is the bottom line - you will never live the life of your dreams on YOUR terms until you take control of your own destiny!

Yes, I know that you may absolutely LOVE your job! But, let me ask you this - do you have to put in a request for vacation as soon as possible once the calendar turns over into the new year? Regardless of how much you love your job, is there a possibility that you could LOSE that job?

WHAT IF...

...you could still work at that job that you love so much and STILL put things into practice that you control your own destiny?

Here's what I mean - what if you could set yourself up to where even if you LOST that job you'd still be alright financially and emotionally?

What if you could control your destiny to the point that, although the job you would really enjoy working at doesn't pay as much as you really need it to, you could take it anyway? And not worry about the level of pay?

What if you could live wherever you want - not based on a job, but simply based on the fact that you LIKE the area?

Controlling your own destiny is about CHOICES! The more you control your own destiny, the more choices you have!

Too many of us have fallen into the trap of thinking "this is just the way it is" and we go through our lives like cattle being herded here and there with no direction of our own.

ENOUGH!

Wouldn't you agree?

So what?

So what are YOU going to do about it?

Be sure to listen to today's podcast for more thoughts on this and then be sure to listen again on Monday and read this blog on Monday as I delve deeper into this thought process in part 2 of this discussion, "Take Control of Your OWN Destiny!"

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

Mike

Old Man Worry - How Worry Impacts YOUR Life

Worry. We all do it. Question is - what does it accomplish?

Answer: NOTHING!

As we complete looking at the "Six Ghosts of Fear" as described by Napoleon Hill in his classic book, "Think & Grow Rich" he sums up the idea that "worry is a state of mind based upon fear".

Think about that and notice how true it really is - if we don't fear, we don't worry!

Worry can literally drive you crazy! How many of us have spent sleepless nights because we were worried about something? Ah, from the show of hands I see that it is pretty much all of us.

Is worry something that is out of our control? Is worry just a part of life that we must accept?

Yes and no. (Huh?)

I do believe that worry is somewhat of a natural occurrence in our lives - but I also believe that it is NOT something that we must just accept and it IS something that we CAN (and must) control.

Worry is an emotion that is born in our minds. That being so, remember that you CAN control your mind and your thoughts. Yes, it takes effort - but it CAN (and again, must) be done!

Mr. Hill goes through the list of the "Six Ghosts of Fear" and addresses the idea of worry with each one - pay close attention and learn by putting these thoughts into practice:

- The fear of POVERTY: make a decision to get along with whatever wealth you accumulate without worry!
- The fear of CRITICISM: make a decision to not worry about what others think, do or say!
- The fear of GETTING OLD: make a decision to accept it for the blessing it is which carries with it wisdom, self-control, and understanding not known to youth.
- The fear of GETTING SICK: make a decision to ignore "symptoms"! Do not allow every sniff and cough to cause you to worry - improve your positive mindset and move on.
- The fear of LOSING LOVE: by making a decision to get along without love if necessary.
- The fear of DEATH: make a decision to accept death as an inescapable event...and let that help you understand the importance of LIVING today!

Have you ever considered the impact that WORRY/FEAR in your life has on others? Think about it. It is a well-known fact that animals can sense fear in a human being. Isn't that interesting? Even bees sense fear and attack. If the animal/insect world can pick up on these feelings, do you not think that others around us can pick up on it as well? Don't you also think that it will have an IMPACT on them as well?

You've experienced this yourself, haven't you? Have you ever been around someone that "brought you down"? Sure you have! Their negative feelings, thoughts, words and general attitude had an impact on you - we actually battle this every day, don't we?

So, yes, worry is a hard one to handle - but we CAN handle and control it IF we determine in our minds to do so!

Don't allow WORRY to control your life. Instead, control worry so that you may LIVE YOUR LIFE!

And, as always, remember...

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

Mike

The FEAR of DEATH

Wow, what a lovely topic, huh?

Yet, again, this is something that many of us can relate to as we go through this journey called life. Before I go any further, think about that last sentence and look at the last word found in that sentence - LIFE!

First and foremost - let's stop focusing on death and start LIVING LIFE!

This discussion follows the listing of the "Six Ghosts of Fear" in chapter 15 of Napoleon Hill's classic book, "Think & Grow Rich" in which he discusses "How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear". I state pretty clearly that I totally disagree with Mr. Hill's deductions in the discussion of the fear of death. You may totally agree with him, and that's o.k. too!

Mr. Hill's deduction in this section is that the fear of death arose from religion and the ideas about heaven and/or hell. Now, I know I'm simplifying this a great deal, but I do think this is the main point of his deduction. He goes on to suggest that with the advance of colleges and universities during the time of this writing (this is the 1937 version) that "higher learning" has pretty much done away with this type of thinking, thus pretty much ridding our society of this fear of death.

It is interesting to me that, after all these years, we are still plagued by that very fear. Sure, some of it has to do with misunderstandings of Christianity, for example. I remember as a young child hearing the "fire and brimstone" sermons that had me so afraid I didn't know what to do. However, as I have grown and matured and studied on my own I have no reason to be afraid. As a matter of fact, for me, I have no fear of death BECAUSE OF my beliefs!

I believe that the core root of this fear is the FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. We don't like the unknown. Are you afraid of the dark or do you know someone that is? Why does that fear exist? Again, the FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN - we can't see what 's in the dark and that frightens us!

Actually, if you look back over many of the fears that we have looked at in this study you will find that many of them are tied into the FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.

Let's take a quick look at this by starting with the FEAR OF POVERTY - we are afraid of what might happen if we slip into poverty (the fear of the unknown).

Even the FEAR OF CRITICISM can be tied in with the fear of the unknown. We may cease from acting a certain way or doing a certain thing or living a certain way because we fear what someone else MIGHT think or say to us. So, we just decide not to do something in hopes that we will be "safe" from any possible (unknown) criticism.

The same can also be said of the FEAR OF GETTING SICK. This, again, is the "what if" factor (a disguised version of the fear of the unknown). "What if" I get this disease or that disease? "What if" I catch this or that? This type of fear drives some to cease contact with all people and any circumstance that may involve germs. This sounds extreme (and it is) but it is all tied into the fear of the unknown.

And, yes, we can even tie the fear of the unknown to the FEAR OF LOSING LOVE. As was stated in the discussion of this fear, we can be in a perfectly HEALTHY relationship and allow the fear of losing that relationship to impact it to the point that we actually DO lose that relationship. Friend, ANYTHING that involves the future (is there anything that DOESN'T?) has the unknown attached to it! That's just part of life!

The FEAR OF SICKNESS is closely tied in with the FEAR OF DEATH and both of them, again, are connected to the fear of the unknown. Do I need to explain that fact with these two fears? No, I think you can follow through with that thought yourself.

We DON'T KNOW what lies on the other side of death. Mr. Hill even acknowledges that fact in this discussion. Different beliefs have different thoughts and ideas about the matter and you can study ancient civilizations and discover what they believed about what comes after death by even uncovering their graves. Even those of us who believe in a "life after death" it is still unknown in that we have never experienced it before and don't know what it may be like.

Death, itself, is an unknown. Sure, we can read or listen to accounts of those that have had the "near death" experiences but, until we experience it ourself, it is unknown to us.

So, what do we do? Should we just curl up and wait to die? It is inevitable, right?

The very fact that death is inevitable should help us realize that we need to get out and LIVE!

Tim McGraw had a very popular song a few years ago that talked about this very thing. The song is entitled, "Live Like You Were Dying" and it discusses the life of a man that received bad news from his doctor that due to some tumor or other cause his life would be coming to an end sooner than he had planned. I'm not going to post the words to the entire song (you can easily find the lyrics on line) but the main point of the song is the fact that the man decided to live life to the full and to also encourage each and every one of us to do the same - to LIVE like you were dying!

I do, however, want to include these few words toward the end of the song as we're encouraged to live....

Like tomorrow was a gift

And you got eternity to think about what you'd do with it.

An' what did you do with it?

An' what can I do with it?

An' what would I do with it?"

One change I'd make in that wording - TODAY is the gift because tomorrow may never come.

What will you do with TODAY?

Why not LIVE it with every ounce of your being? Why not LIVE it with NO REGRETS?

It's yours to live however you choose - what will YOU do with it?

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

Mike

Celebrating My 100th Podcast!

Today (Tuesday, 8.4.09) I celebrate the broadcast of my 100th podcast!

I began my first podcast on March 2, 2009 (my middle son's birthday) and started out with a Monday-Wednesday-Friday format which soon turned into the five-days-a-week format that I now follow.

I share thanks on the podcast but I just want to say to all of you that listen - THANK YOU for doing so and for encouraging me with your kind emails and comments...they keep me going!

May I ask a favor of all of you? SPREAD THE WORD! We all need as much encouragement as possible and I encourage you to share this with as many people as possible. I try to keep it down to a very "manageable" time - 11 minutes to be exact - so that it doesn't take up too much time in your day.

Again, THANK YOU! My pledge to you continues to be the following:

"I will always strive to do my best to provide you with my best."

Enjoy the podcast and tomorrow I will get back on discussing the "Six Ghosts of Fear" from Napoleon Hill's classic, "Think & Grow Rich".


And, as always - "Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

More on IMAGINATION!

The one main thing I wanted to bring to you on the concluding podcast on this chapter was the fact that - THE IMAGINATION DOES NOT DIE!

It's like a muscle that has not been exercised --- it may be weak and flabby - but the muscle is STILL THERE!

Your imagination may be "weak and flabby" due to your lack of use - BUT IT IS STILL THERE and it CAN be brought back to it's FULL STRENGTH - IF we will choose to use it again!

When did you/me/we stop using our imagination?

WHY did we stop using our imagination?

It's time to DREAM again - IMAGINE again and allow that imagination to push us past our comfort zone once again!

Out of the imagination GREAT IDEAS come!

Do you believe that? I DO!

Delve deep into this chapter and be CHALLENGED to "exercise and put to use" your IMAGINATION once again!


And, as always ---

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

Mike

Thankful Thursday - "Start NOW!"

I have really enjoyed sharing additional information in my recent podcasts on the 5 points found in the FREE REPORT that anyone can receive on my website http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com

The last point that I cover in today's podcast is, "Start NOW!".

This really goes hand in hand with all of the other points and sums it up quite nicely --- stop waiting, stop wishing, stop making excuses about why you can't (love yourself, remember?) and know that you CAN and start now!

Whatever it is - start making the progress right now - today! What are you waiting for?

Improvements do not happen overnight! I just got off of the phone with a gentleman interviewing me for a program that will be made public soon (I'll let you know where to find it once that has happened) and we talked about this very thing in some of our discussion.

Too many times we look at someone that has excelled in their particular field - and we wish we could do the same or we want to do the same. The problem is, we often expect to reach their level of success right away. Here's the question that we must ask ourselves, "Are we willing to do what they did to get where they are?" And, honestly, most of us are not.

So, if we ARE serious about improving our lives (in whatever way you may think of) then it is important for us to realize that we MUST work on it every day and make progress each and every day.

This applies whether it be preparing yourself for a job promotion or even preparing yourself for a particular job, preparing to take your G.E.D. or preparing to go back to school to get another or a different degree OR stepping out in a whole new career. THIS APPLIES TO EVERY AREA!

So, stop waiting and START NOW - who else is going to do it for you? The answer - no one but YOU!

I'd love to hear any feedback/response that you may have on any or all of these 5 points that I have covered - you can leave them here or send me an email at mike@futureyouuniversity.com

And, as always, remember to...

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

Mike Spillman

"Love Yourself - part 2"

It's another "Magical Monday" ("As long as there is breath - there is hope!") and I hope that you have had a wonderful weekend!

I mentioned on my podcast how much fun I had this past weekend riding my motorcycle up to see my good friend, Fred up in Missouri. It was one of those things that I had talked about many times ("I need to go up and see Fred....one of these days I need to ....") but, for one reason or another wasn't doing. The thing is, there was no REAL reason that has kept me from doing so - can you relate? So, anyway, I climbed on my bike and headed out about 10 a.m. Friday morning and arrived around 3:00 p.m. I took a short break and then the two of us climbed on our bikes at about 3:30 p.m. and rode until about 6:50 pm. to have supper together. I have to admit, my rear end was getting a little sore at this point! After supper, we had about another 35 miles to go to bet back to his house and then sat up until about midnight talking about old times and our friendship. Fred had to be "on the clock" at 7:00 a.m. so I got up and talked to him for a few minutes Saturday morning and then hopped back on my bike around 8:00 a.m. and headed back home and arrived there around 1:00 p.m.
It was a hard ride due to the wind...but I am SO glad that I did it and got to spend such a great time with my friend.

And, also, this coming Saturday I will once again get with some of my old classmates from High School and have lunch with them. Awesome!

So - what about you? What is something that YOU can do to "treat yourself" to a smile and a hearty laugh?

You see, even this applies to today's podcast topic that is continued from last Thursday - "Love Yourself." So many times - for whatever reason - we tell ourselves that we don't "deserve" this or that. Yes, even good relationships with good friends!

Perhaps someone has told you that - even in your childhood - and it is something that you need to overcome. But START TODAY learning to love yourself.

WHY NOT YOU?

Yes, you DO deserve happiness! Yes, you DO deserve the best life has to offer. Remember, you were BORN someone special! You are UNIQUE! "God doesn't make junk!"

In today's podcast I also share something that John Di Lemme says about this topic. He declares that you were BORN a CHAMPION! Your birth certificate is evidence of that fact! He declares that CHAMPIONS ARE BORN and LOSERS ARE MADE. I also told you I would include a link to his website, so here it is: http://john-dilemme.com/

Enjoy the podcast - explore who you are and learn to LOVE YOURSELF!

I'd love to hear any feedback that you may have - either here on the blog or by emailing me at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

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

Mike Spillman

"Terrific Tuesday" - LIVE Where You Are!

I don't know if there is any more important a topic than this one discussed in today's podcast. We must all learn the art of living "where we are".

What do I mean by that? Well, consider this - how many times do you find yourself wishing you were somewhere else? Doing something else, someplace else with someone else? Ever? Often?

My guess is that it depends on how "happy" you think you are with "where you are". This ties in with yesterday's discussion of "Stop Waiting" and the thought of how much time is we waste by waiting for everything to be the way we want them to be before we do something. Each day that passes by is gone forever, never to be reclaimed! Let that sink in for a moment. Really think about that and let it cause you to STOP WAITING and START LIVING where you are!

Now! Today! I understand that your situation may not be what you hope for, dream for and even plan to achieve in your lifetime. HOWEVER, you are where you are RIGHT NOW and it's your choice what you do with it, isn't it?

If you believe that everything happens for a reason, then consider that you are where you are for a reason, a PURPOSE! (Now, you may really think I'm crazy and you may be yelling at your computer, "What? Do you KNOW my situation??" - By the way, do you know how silly you look yelling at a computer screen?) ;)

Perhaps there is someone that you have contact with on a daily basis that needs you! Perhaps they need YOUR positive energy! Perhaps they NEED your help in making it through a rough time. Maybe - just maybe - you work with a group of people that you can count on to help you network with others that may be able to propel you along your way in whatever it is that you would like to do.

I could go on and on with that thought, but why don't YOU continue that thought? Look around you today. Opportunity surrounds you - TODAY! People surround you today and, yes, believe me, I know that people can literally drive you nuts if you let them...but, maybe - just maybe - there is someone there that has been placed in your life for a reason.

Think about it.

Look at today in ways that you have never looked at a day before and realize that, indeed, it is not only POSSIBLE but it is a NECESSITY to begin to "live where you are."

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

Mike Spillman