Taking Responsibility

In today's podcast I share with you the things that a particular negative person I deal with at least once a week spurts out of his negative mouth! (Don't you just love people like this?)

Here's the thing - we all deal with people like this from time to time, right? What do YOU do about it? How do YOU handle it? (I'd love to hear from you on this - just shoot me an e-mail at mike@futureyouuniversity.com )

On this particular Tuesday Mr. Negative (as I will refer to him from now on) was spouting about how the government is to blame for everything and "if" this and "if" that.... hmmmm, I'm thinking he hasn't read the chapter on "Old Man 'If'" in Napoleon Hill's book, huh? ;)

Among other things in his negative rant he made the comment about someone making $40, 000 being poor. Now, folks, let's get some perspective on this statement and look at some actual facts about this part of the world. This comment is being made about the same county as I live in the state of Arkansas. Official statistics show that the estimated median household income in 2007 in this county was $26,316 and overall, in the state of Arkansas in 2007 it was $38,134.

YOU do the math! It's pretty obvious that Mr. Negative has no idea what he is talking about! Does this surprise you? It shouldn't! Negative people love to spout off thoughts, ideas and even "statistics" that have no basis in fact at all. Don't be fooled by them or take what they say as something of any value whatsoever!

When you look at the facts, a person making $40,000 in this little county in Arkansas is WAY ahead of others in this county and even a little further ahead than most others in the state as a whole! But, for negative people, facts don't matter! All that matters is the EXCUSE!

And, this is what was happening with Mr. Negative - excuses! He was making excuses as to why he (I assume he was talking about himself) couldn't ever get ahead even thought the fact is that he is far better off than most around here.

I'll be sharing some more from Mr. Negative in the next few days, but for today, this is enough for me to make the point for today's podcast and blog. Again, STOP making excuses and START making your move!

All of us can point to difficult times in our lives, right? All of us can find situations that DO make things tough in our lives - but what then? What do you do? What do I do?

Give in? Give up?

Yes, sometimes, things are out of our control but there are also many things that we have caused to happen in our own lives and we must suffer through the results.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Isn't it time we took responsibility for our own lives, for our own mistakes and yes, even for those circumstances beyond our control - isn't it time we took the responsibility to "fix" it?

Right at the end of today's podcast I shared with the listeners some really unbelievable financial figures that I and my family went through during a very tough time in our lives. Take a listen to it. I will be going over that in more detail for tomorrow's podcast just simply to help you know that, yes, I, too, have been through it.

Today is YOUR day! Take responsibility for it and refuse to hand that responsibility over to any one else!

You can do it! You MUST do it!

So yes...

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

Mike

Turning DESIRE Into REALITY (part 1)

Today's podcast begins a discussion on Napoleon Hill's classic book: "Think and Grow Rich". Again, you can get a free copy by going to the link over in the right hand column of this blog.

I basically cover some information in the preface and the first part of chapter 1. Here's one of the main things I talk about as far as Napoleon Hill himself - this book was the effort of 20 years! Do you get that? 20 years!! Over that time period he spent time interviewing over 47 people (I'm not sure of the exact number, but he lists 47 in the book and says there were more) and also applying and testing their principles shared. He discovered that all of them shared some of the same traits and ideas shared! When you look at the list you discover great men of business (Henry Ford, Thomas Edison for example) as well as President's of the United States of America. Twenty years of discussion, thought, testing, questioning and applying these principles -- all with the intent of sharing this information through a book.

That fact alone tells me that this was a great man! To be this disciplined on a task. To be this focused on continuing this all the way to it's completion. To be this dedicated to learning and sharing these principles. Wow!

I share the very beginnings of a story that Mr. Hill tells in the first chapter - and will tell more of the story in tomorrow's podcast - about a man that stopped three feet short of a fortune in gold. THREE FEET SHORT!

What about us? How dedicated are we to turning a DESIRE (or idea) into REALITY? How committed are we to "seeing it through" without giving up and quitting at the first sign of difficulty? Are we willing to do what it takes and stick it out? Are we willing to keep going in the midst of possible perceived failure?

Please feel free to join in this discussion here or by sending me an email at: mike@futureyouuniversity.com

I'd love to hear your input on these important topics!

And, as always....

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

Mike