Think BIG!

                                           

 

 

This is a fairly long read and I hope you find it interesting and informative. I wanted to share it so that you can get the whole "background" to what you find in the last 3 lines. THINK BIG! 

 

Buc-ee's marketing budget is almost entirely billboards, and most of them are bathroom jokes. 'Only 262 Miles to Buc-ee's. You Can Hold It.' A company convinced millions of families to drive past hundreds of gas stations using toilet humor. It worked because the promise behind the joke was real.

Buc-ee's sells gas so cheap that a competitor sued them for it.

 

In 2019, a new Buc-ee's in Alabama priced regular gas at $1.79 a gallon. The wholesale cost was around $1.90. They were selling fuel below what it cost them, and a rival gas station took them to court over it.

 

Most people would look at that and see a gas station losing money on gas.

Buc-ee's isn't a gas station. The gas is the bait.

 

The founder has said it himself. Roughly two-thirds of Buc-ee's revenue comes from inside the store. Food, snacks, and merchandise. Only one-third comes from fuel.

 

At a normal gas station, those numbers are flipped. 

The average convenience store in America does about $5.5 million a year. The average Buc-ee's does around $57 million. Per location. Roughly 10x the industry standard.

 

Arch Aplin III grew up in Texas in an entrepreneurial family. His father built homes. His grandparents, Arch and Mae, had run a gas station and country store in Harrisonburg, Louisiana since the 1920s.

Young Arch worked summers there. They wouldn't let him touch the cash register. Too young. So he pumped gas.

 

His mother nicknamed him "Beaver" after Bucky Beaver, the old toothpaste mascot. The name stuck for life.

 

He went to Texas A&M and earned a construction degree in 1980. He figured he'd build skyscrapers.

Instead, in 1982, at 24 years old, he borrowed $250,000 from a bank president he had befriended and built a 3,000 square foot convenience store in his hometown of Lake Jackson, Texas.

He named it after himself and his childhood dog, Buck. Buc-ee's. The logo was a cartoon beaver in a red cap.

 

The store had brass ceiling fans and cedar paneling, which was unheard of in an industry built on grime and fluorescent lighting.

And Aplin opened with two non-negotiable promises.

Cheap ice. And clean bathrooms.

 

That was the entire strategy. Two things every road traveler in Texas wanted and no gas station in America bothered to deliver.

Those two trivial-sounding promises became the foundation of a company now estimated to generate $3 to $5 billion a year.

 

Every gas station owner in the country treated restrooms as a cost. A nuisance. The thing you needed a key attached to a hubcap to access.

Aplin treated the restroom as the product. He realized the traveling public would drive farther, past cheaper and closer options, for the promise of a spotless bathroom. 

So he splurged on them. Buc-ee's staffs dedicated team members whose entire job is keeping the restrooms immaculate at all hours.

 

When the New Braunfels location opened in 2012, it had 84 gleaming toilets, each with its own hand sanitizer dispenser. Those bathrooms became a finalist in Cintas' national America's Best Restroom contest, the only retailer to make the cut.

 

A gas station chain won a national award for its toilets. On purpose.

And then they built the entire marketing strategy around it.

 

Buc-ee's spends almost nothing on TV or digital ads. The marketing budget goes to billboards. Hundreds of them, stretching across highways for hundreds of miles, almost all of them jokes.

"Only 262 Miles to Buc-ee's. You Can Hold It."

"Restrooms So Clean We Leave Mints In the Urinals."

"The Top Two Reasons to Stop at Buc-ee's: #1 and #2."

 

They turned toilets into a tourist attraction. Families in minivans full of kids see those signs and the decision is made two hours before the exit ever appears.

 

Then in the early 2000s, Buc-ee's opened its oversized flagship in Luling, Texas, along one of the busiest highway corridors in the state. And Aplin made a decision that separated Buc-ee's from every other travel stop in America.

No semi-trucks allowed.

Every other big fuel stop in the country chased trucker volume. Aplin banned them. No 18-wheelers meant no rough truck stop atmosphere. Buc-ee's would be for families.

 

Freed from being a truck stop, the stores just kept growing. The Luling location now measures 75,593 square feet, the largest convenience store on the planet. That's an official world record. Buc-ee's holds a second one too, for the world's longest car wash, a 255 foot monster in Katy, Texas.

Inside these buildings, the "convenience store" concept dissolves completely.

 

Walls of fresh brisket sandwiches carved in front of you. Kolaches. Eighteen kinds of homemade fudge. An entire wall of jerky. And Beaver Nuggets, the caramel-coated corn puffs that people now buy in bulk and resell online.

 

Buc-ee's also refuses to sell its products online. If you want Beaver Nuggets, you drive to Buc-ee's. The scarcity is the point.

 

The cartoon beaver appears on over 1,000 different products. Shirts, hats, swimsuits, toys, ornaments, pajamas. Families pose for photos with the giant beaver statue out front like it's a theme park character. The merchandise is largely private label, which pushes gross margins to roughly 40%, well above the industry's 31 to 37%.

That's the Trader Joe's playbook

.

The gas is priced 10 to 30 cents below every station around it, sometimes below cost. One Colorado location alone draws roughly 8,000 cars a day.

Cheap fuel gets them off the exit. Clean bathrooms get them out of the car. The brisket, the fudge, the nuggets, and the beaver merchandise get them to the register with a full basket.

 

In 2024, 80% of Buc-ee's customers rated their experience as excellent. People don't just stop at Buc-ee's. They plan road trips around it. They pull over with a full tank.

 

Aplin, now in his 60s, still personally selects every new location and shows up to every groundbreaking. More than 50 locations across at least nine states, with new states opening constantly. When asked how many stores he has, he answers: "I'm not in this for a number. We're just having fun."

 

44 years ago, a kid who wasn't allowed to touch the register at his grandparents' gas station looked at the dirtiest, most miserable category in American retail and asked one question.

What if the pit stop was the destination?

Everyone else competed on gas prices and location. He competed on brisket, a cartoon beaver, and the cleanest toilets in America.

 

That's not a gas station.

That's a destination retail empire that happens to sell fuel.

 

The most ignored detail in your industry might be the entire opportunity. What's the "clean bathroom" nobody in your market is willing to invest in?

Think Big

 

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Top 10 Tips to Avoid Being Scammed

 Here is a list of the "Top 10 Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed" that I have put together from my past experience. They are not in any particular order but they are ALL very important to keep in mind.

 

1. Don't "risk" more than you can afford to lose (even if it's "guaranteed refund"). If the "getting started" cost is $100 or if it's $25, if you can't afford to lose that, DON'T DO IT!

 

2. Don't believe the hype..."too good to be true" is not always false, but it SHOULD be a warning sign! Even the legitimate opportunities do tend to "over-promote" how "easy" it is to achieve success.

 

3. Realize that those that do well, quickly, likely have a HUGE list already in place in order to have people to market to. It takes a long time to build up such a list so, don't necessarily expect immediate results . It CAN happen, but don't get crushed if it doesn't. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

4. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB until you have matched or exceeded your current income for SEVERAL months CONSISTENTLY! (1 month is NOT consistently....think more along the line of 6 months or more)

 

5. DO NOT QUIT YOUR JOB because it also puts way too much pressure on your to "make it happen". The more pressure you put on yourself (and that "opportunity") the less likely you are to succeed.

6. If you don't have the $$ to invest in advertising then understand that you CAN get people to work with you (or be your customers) with "free methods" but it will take more "sweat equity" and more time.

 

7. Do NOT use your "real" phone number (but also do not make up or use someone else's #)
           a. if you don't have an alternative, use a "time/temp" number
           b. use Google Voice by getting a "gmail account" - USE THIS!

 

8. Consider having more than one "opportunity" set up and running in order to increase your "streams of income"...
     - don't "bite off more than you can chew" but there should be some that you can do without a LOT of physical work/time on your end

 

9. Decide for yourself! You cannot always rely on the "Rip-off Report", for example. Many times these are people that wanted someone to do it all for them and expected "magic" to happen and, when it didn't, they began to cry "scam! scam!" The final decision will ultimately be up to you.

 

10. Risk vs. Reward. This could also be looked at as comparing the "pros and cons". Yes, get out a sheet of paper (or do it on your computer) and make a list of the risks/cons as well as the rewards/pros. Is the REWARD big enough to overcome some of the RISK involved? Know this: There is ALWAYS risk involved in ANY situation like this. Again, the final decision will be yours.

 

***BONUS TIP: Do NOT go to some site for "Top Home Based Businesses"...you will get SWAMPED with emails and phone calls. They are only turning your information into a LEAD for people to buy. There is NO set up or "matching" you up with the "perfect" opportunity for you! Again, this is a way for companies to sell your information. Understand, too, that your information will NOT be sold only once. It will likely be sold five or more times and this could go on for months as your information gets recycled through "the lead system".

***See the blog articles from October 30th on two scams that I specifically warn you about and October 31st on four opportunities that I share information about that require no or low cost to get started.***

 

I hope that this has been helpful for you. Again, take the time to do your "due diligence" along the way. Until next time, whatever you do, always be sure to... 

 

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

 

Mike



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If You Were Not Afraid

If you weren't afraid of ANYTHING - and I mean ANYTHING - what would you do?

Really, take a moment and give that question some serious thought. Why? Because, as I've been discussing in the past couple of articles, FEAR keeps us from experiencing so many things IN our life as well as keeping us from enjoying so MUCH of our life.

Take a look at your relationships or at the relationships that you wish that you had. What if you weren't afraid? What if you weren't afraid of getting hurt? (The only way to "not get hurt" is to not connect with people and, friend, that hurts, too!). Are you afraid of loving "too much"? What if you lost that fear and you began to love without fear? What would happen? What could be?

Take a look at your job. What if you weren't afraid of being taken advantage of? What if you weren't afraid of messing up? What if, instead, you did your best - without fear or worry - and you just worked as "the best you" that you could. I wonder what might happen? What if you weren't afraid of others "getting ahead" or getting the credit? What if you just became the person that did their best, without fear?

What if opportunity presented itself in that job and you weren't afraid to take that next step? What if you believed strongly enough in you and your abilities that - without fear - you began to believe in yourself as much as the one that offered you the promotion? What might be possible?

What if you were no longer afraid to pursue your dreams? What if you were no longer afraid of failing? What if you were no longer afraid of someone saying, "I told you so" if you did fail?

Again, what if you begin to believe in yourself and stopped being afraid to do so?

How would you live? Would your life improve? Would your attitude improve?

Just imagine how your relationships - ALL of your relationships - would improve and become more meaningful.

Just imagine.

Life without fear.

Think about that. Dream about that. Brainstorm about that. Write it down and dare - without fear - to take action.

What if you did? What if you do?

What will happen WHEN you do?

There are more questions than statements in this article. But, friend, it is because your freedom - TRUE freedom - depends on your answer to that one, all important question...

"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

I'd love to get your thoughts on that. Leave them here or on the FYU fanpage on Facebook.

Dare to live, friend, dare to live.

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

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

Mike

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You Are Capable!

 

I love that quote in the graphic above. Read it and pay close attention to your immediate response.

 

I'm not sure WHY we do it, but many of us DO it.

 

Do what, exactly? Doubt ourselves. So many of us have a struggle accepting what is said in that graphic. What was YOUR initial and immediate response to what you read? Be honest with yourself...no one else is going to know, but YOU MUST BE HONEST with yourself IF you are planning to move forward in this progression of a more positive mindset.

 

Yet, to some extent, I DO know why so many of us doubt ourselves. It's because we've been "beaten up" over the years. We've experienced temporary set backs and perceived "failures" and it has become difficult to believe that anything good can actually happen to us and for us.

 

We WANT to believe it but we just can't seem to get past the doubt that it CAN actually happen to us. Others? Sure, we don't have much of a problem believing that someone else can have something good in their life...we even often feel that they DESERVE it as opposed to us....who, for whatever reason, DON'T deserve it. Or so we feel.

 

I may have used the following graphic before but it seems to really apply in today's thought. Take a look:



 

For whatever reason, we find it easier to believe in others than ourselves. We have no doubt that THEY can achieve any thing and every thing, but not us.

 

STOP DOUBTING YOUR LIMITS!

 

Belief (that you can) is not based on what you can SEE! It really doesn't take much belief or FAITH to act on something that is clearly seen. Acting on something that is clearly seen removes most - if not all - risk. No risk doesn't require belief or faith, friend.

 

The Bible (in Hebrews 11:1) defines faith as, "...the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

 

HOPE combined with EVIDENCE!

 

Wait a minute, it says "evidence of things not seen"...how is that evidence?

 

There is evidence of things that we cannot see around us each and every day, friend. Electricity and the wind are just two - very simple - examples.

 

Again, FAITH - BELIEF - demands that we "step out" without "seeing" everything fully. Risk is a part of the equation but, what is truly valuable without some level of risk involved?

 

Stop doubting and begin to believe that, indeed, you ARE capable of more than you know.

 

Keep your head up and keep moving forward and, as you do so, always be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike

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How Far Can YOU Go?

How far can you go?

There's only one way to know, right?

The only way to find out how far you can go is to go further than you ever have before. If you only go as far as you have before then you really don't know how far you CAN go.

I use other examples in the podcast (you can find the links below) but just think about the guys that do the motorcycle (and yes, even bicycle) stunt contests. A few years back, no one had ever done a back flip and then it was no one had ever done two in a row. Then, it was the first ever FRONT flip and on and on we go.

Someone is always pushing the bar past where no one thought it could go. But GO it does!

How is that possible? Someone sees/dreams/envisions it and then they take the risk and fail and fail and fail until they succeed.

Doing these tricks into a foam pit is one thing but, when it comes time to try it out "for real" where you land - or crash - on the hard ground, is a whole different matter!

To complete something that you've never completed before brings it's own reward.

There's only one way to find out how far YOU can actually go. You must dream it, see it, envision it and then be prepared to FAIL until you SUCCEED.

You DO have what it takes but only YOU can make the decision - in belief - to go for it.

Here's to pushing the limits in order to push ourselves further and further.....

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

Mike

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Move Up to the Front Row!

 

I don't know about you but I cannot look at this picture and not smile!

 

I also don't know if I've ever seen a more clear illustration than what is shown here. I LOVE THIS PICTURE and the graphic attached to it. Don't you?

 

Look at the progression that takes place from the first row to the third row. There's even a change from the first to the second row though not as dramatic as is shown in the third row.

 

LIFE IS MEANT TO BE LIVED!

 

I love roller coasters and I love to ride on the front row! Now, understand this - I am afraid of heights and the slow trip up to the top terrifies me along with the pause at the very top before the "release" which sends the roller coaster plummet straight down.

 

But I LOVE the thrill that comes once that release takes place. At that point my fear of heights is gone and the thrill of the ride has taken over! (Be sure to LISTEN to the podcast so that you can hear the happiness in my voice as I talk about this).

 

Now, once in a while I have agreed to ride in the middle of the line of roller coaster cars because someone that was too afraid to ride in the front wanted to ride the roller coaster with me. BORING! I could have almost had a tray of food and drink set up in that car and not spilled anything.

 

It was safe and a person could walk away bragging that they rode that roller coaster!

 

Well, technically, they did but they did not experience all that the roller coaster had to offer. The experience that they had when they "rode" the roller coaster was NOTHING compared to what those on the FRONT ROW of the roller coaster experienced.

 

Apply that to life, friend. You may say that you are "living" life but are you experiencing all that life has to offer?

 

You see this even connects to what we've discussed in the previous two articles.

 

Are you - WILL YOU - allow yourself to truly live life and experience all the wonders that are offered by life when you do so?

 

It's up to you but, friend, look at that picture one more time and ask yourself, "Do I want to live and laugh like the ladies in the front row or do I want to sit and chat like the ladies in the third row?"

 

C'mon....let's get on the FRONT ROW and for the the ride of a lifetime!

 

And, as you enjoy that ride, always be sure to...

 

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

 

Mike

 

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When Things Don't Feel Right...

You've heard of the "two percenter" as opposed to the "ninety-eight percenter", right?

 

If you haven't, to put it simply, the 2% set themselves apart from the other 98% of the population and, as a result, are at the top 2% of income earners.

 

The 98% are those that are part of the crowd that does the same things as everyone else in that 98% group. They follow the same plans and do the same things. That doesn't necessarily mean that they are unhappy or even unsuccessful (the definition of "success" can mean many different things).

 

But, it DOES mean this: there are only 2% that are willing to step out from the crowd and take more risks and, as a result, usually reap more rewards.

 

They don't look at things the same, think the same or do the same things as everyone else. They are not careless. They do their homework or "due diligence" but they also are not afraid to "follow their gut" when making their final decision.

 

Notice the quote from Albert Einstein above.  Following the crowd will usually take you only as far as the crowd is willing to go. It's that same idea that says that you will fit into the average of those ten people with which you spend most of your time.  You tend to go no further or do any better than the average of that group of people.

 

Why not step out and take the chance - the risk - so that you have a chance of finding yourself where no one has ever been before?

 

BECAUSE IT SCARES US!

 

I've heard Anthony Robbins say something along the line of how important it is for each of us to become more afraid of staying where we are than being afraid of the possible risk and unknown.

 

Step out of the shadow of fear and walk boldly.

 

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

 

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

 

Mike

 

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Life Without Risk...

 

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As the picture says....life without risk is a life unlived.

I'd also say that the quote could also read, "Life without risk is a life unloved."

Wouldn't you say that this would be accurate as well? Hey, if you've ever loved someone you have taken a risk and, my guess is, that RISK has not always "paid off".

But there is also another saying: "It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."

So, is this blog about risk or love or......?

None of the above. It's about LIVING LIFE!

And that, my friend, will ALWAYS involve risk.

So, get out there and start LIVING LIFE TODAY!

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

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

Mike

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?" (Conclusion)

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?" (Conclusion)

"DON'T FORGET TO LIVE!"

As I conclude my thoughts on the topic of "Merely Existing OR Truly Living?" I hope that you have really taken a close and serious look at your life and asked yourself that very question in regards to your own life.

"As long as there is breath there is hope" has been one of my sayings that I have shared many times in the past and I know I will continue to share it many times in the future. The premise simply being that, as long as you are alive, there is ALWAYS the potential to improve your situation and make things better.

Are you ALIVE?

Are you LIVING?

No, I don't mean purely in the physical sense. I'm not asking if you have a heartbeat as you read this. (It would be quite a story if you DIDN'T have a heartbeat as you were reading this!).

In yesterday's blog I closed out with this quote that also came from the movie, "Tuck Everlasting"... "Don't be afraid of death but rather be afraid of the unlived life."

What do you think of when you think of living a life without regrets?

Is it simply trying to live life without doing much of anything wrong and, if you DID do something wrong, making sure that you reconciled the situation as much as possible?

For me, when I think of the idea of "living life without regrets" DOES take the previous thought into account BUT, in my mind, there is so much more to the equation. Let me explain...

I DO NOT want to come to the end of my life and have a long list of "what ifs" or "I wonder's". Do you understand what I mean?

I don't want to still ask myself, "What IF..." I had done this or that. I don't want to be wondering what would have happened IF I had stepped out - in spite of the fear and the unknown - and followed my heart and/or my dream.

Fear is truly an amazing emotion.

Think about this - fear can make you move like you've never moved before! For me, that type of strong emotion comes if I come across a snake unexpectedly. For example, my wife and I were walking a few years ago and it was just about getting dark when a very small (but still very poisonous) copperhead snake cross right between our feet. I didn't see it but I didn't HAVE to see it when I heard her say, "There's a snake!" Friend, she didn't yell it, she didn't say it with excitement. She said it in a very normal and calm voice. But, for me, it didn't matter! I didn't have to see the snake or know where it was. All I had to do was hear the words, "There's a snake!" and I was IMMEDIATELY "high-stepping" and doing it quickly! (Stop laughing!). Yes, she laughed hard and long at my immediate reaction to the situation but I really had NO CONTROL over my actions. FEAR MOVED ME to MOVE and to do so QUICKLY!

Now, let's look at a different scenario. Thank goodness I've not really had this one happen to me, but let's say I'm walking through the back yard and I come upon an adult copperhead that is coiled up and ready to strike. Very likely the very same emotion of FEAR that caused me to move and move quickly in the previous example would likely cause me to FREEZE in my tracks and make it to where I couldn't move no matter how badly I wanted to.

Same emotion with two different reactions.

Which will you allow into your life?

Will you allow the FEAR of the "unknown" or the FEAR that comes from past failures cause you to "freeze in your tracks" and keep you from making any more progress in your life? Go back and look at the examples I used yesterday about over-protective parents and realize that FEAR can definitely put us in the category of "merely existing" instead of "truly living".

Or, perhaps, you will allow the FEAR of dying with regrets ("what ifs" and "I wonder's") push you forward REGARDLESS of the past failures or the fact that you are not sure of what may happen.

Which ever form of that fear is the greatest will determine your action.

Yes, fear CAN be a great motivator and, if that is what it takes to get you started, then let that fear of dying with regrets get you going.

Then, guess what? You will begin to see that there was nothing to fear in the first place (as far as "the unknown") and you will begin to LIVE life and cease to merely exist.

Oh, I'm sure that we ALL will die with SOME regrets when it comes to an "unfinished list of things to do and see". But, just think of how wonderful it will be to look at that list (even if it's in our head) and KNOW that we sure enjoyed living life as we checked off as many as we could!

HERE'S TO LIFE AND LIVING!

And it all starts right now. Today.

Until next time...

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

Mike http://www.michaelspillman.com/

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?" - Part 2

"Merely Existing OR Truly Living?"

(Part 2)

"TRULY LIVING INVOLVES RISK!"

Don't you just love that picture? That little mouse is about to take a risk! But, if you'll notice, he has PREPARED to take that risk (see his helmet?) and he (or maybe "she") has decided that the REWARD (the cheese) is worth the RISK (possible death!).

As the subtitle says, "TRULY LIVING INVOLVES RISK!".

But, are YOU willing to take the risk? If so, are you PREPARED for the risk? And, have you decided if the RISK is actually worth the REWARD?

Only you can answer these questions, right? But, I can try to give you some things to think about as you DO consider your answers.

First of all, I'm thinking that a life void of all risks would definitely fit into the category of "merely existing". What would you say?

You likely have seen this displayed with how some parents "over-protect" their kids. You've seen it, haven't you? I have watched (very uncomfortably, I might add) as some parents have "blocked the way" of their children even coming CLOSE to any possible "risk" as they tried to play.

But there was no playing to be done! Why? Because once all the risk was removed there was actually nothing to do. Think about that.

If you want to learn to ride a bike then understand this...there is RISK involved! There is the risk that you may fall over and crash. Actually, it's not a risk - it's pretty much a certainty. Some parents will not allow their child to entertain this risk and, by doing so, ROB them of the joy of peddling that bike with the wind blowing in their face.

It has been said that, by doing all that we can to eliminate germs around our kids, we have actually weakened our children's immune systems. They actually NEED some germs so that their body can build up a proper defense to them.

I was friends with a young lady when I was in college that, quite honestly, came from a different background than I did. I'm not a "fancy" person... never have been and I don't see myself ever becoming that way. What do I mean by "fancy"?

Now, before I share with you this example, please DO NOT be offended if you enjoy this type of scenario in your life. All I'm saying is this: it's not my style!

Anyway, she was describing to me her "dream house" and she was even "walking" me through the rooms of the house and describing how they were set up and how they looked in her mind. She told me of one room that have very nice furniture in it which consisted of a couple of nice chairs, a couch, coffee table and a few other things. Now, to me, she had already told me about her "living room" that had couches and chairs in it and I asked her what was the purpose of having another room so similar. If I remember right she called this second room a "sitting room" and I, being a bit sarcastic said, "So, what...you just are going to come in here and sit?" to which she replied, "Oh no! No one will sit on this furniture. It's really more to just look at!"

I wish I could tell you that I was polite and tactful but that would be stretching the truth a bit. Remember, I said I was sarcastic and, true to form, I simply laughed at her and told her that the thought of such a thing was just plain silly!

Now again, please don't be offended if you have a "sitting room" that no one is allowed to sit in but, to me, in my "non-fancy" world it just doesn't make much sense.

Why have furniture if no one is allowed to sit on it and use it?

To me, this is a perfect illustration of living a life without risk - you are merely existing. You are "here" but nothing is happening and you are not "using" your life for it's intended purpose.

Just look at that last sentence again and notice the words, "your life". We use the word, "life" to describe what we have as our existence on this earth yet, too many times, we miss the essence found in that word... LIFE!

Think about it as I share with you one other quote from the movie, "Tuck Everlasting" that I will use in my concluding thoughts on this topic in tomorrows thoughts...

"Don't be afraid of death, but rather be afraid of the unlived life."

Until then...

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

Mike

Is It Time to Jump?

"Is It Time to Jump?"

I'm scared of heights! That's right - I'm a "scaredy-cat" and I admit it! I don't even like getting up on a ladder to get up on my roof. The climb up is not quite so bad, but making that step off of the ladder and onto the roof drives me nuts!

As a matter of fact, yesterday afternoon I was watching an episode of "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery channel where the host was doing the job of changing a light bulb on a big bridge. He had to walk on a "cable" (looked more like a big pipe to me) all the way to the top of this suspension bridge to get to the bulb that needed to be changed. He started off around 200 feet above the water and I'm not sure how high he ended up but it was a LOT higher than when he started.

Here's the crazy part - I was just watching this on t.v. and I started breathing hard. My wife got tickled at me because I began to "pant" as I saw how high he was. Yup, I'm afraid of heights!

I love my sons. What? What does this have to do with what I'm talking about. If you have listened to the podcast, you probably already know where I'm going with this. If not, hang on a minute and you'll see the connection.

I am afraid of heights and I love my sons. What do you do when the two come together? Specifically, I'm talking about being on the lake with my 3 boys and them wanting to jump off of some cliffs and into the water. "C'mon dad, come with us!" Yikes!

So, what do I do? I try to find some cliffs that don't look too high so that I can still have fun with my sons without killing myself or giving myself a heart attack!

But here's the problem - the appearance of height is not the same from the boat as it is from the top of the cliff itself! Not by a long shot! The view from the top is a WHOLE lot different than from the safe confines of the boat below. Trust me on this.

So, again, what do I do? It's too late to chicken out. Remember, I'm afraid of heights, but I also love my boys and I love creating memories with them. (By the way, this is actually all in past tense since 2 of the 3 now have wives of their own and our youngest is about to graduate high school).

So...guess what? They are almost as terrified as I am. We all have discussions about who is going to jump first. This conversation always involves each volunteering SOMEONE ELSE to go first!

Then we do the countdown thing...everyone is going to jump on "3" right? WRONG! We count and no one jumps. We count again, same result.

Well, sooner or later one of the boys decides to jump and, honestly, I'm usually the last one standing and they are all waiting for me to jump. BUT REMEMBER? I'M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!

But, I love my boys.

So, I jump!

Believe me, it wasn't easy and, although it got easier the 2nd and 3rd times (yeah, believe it or not, the thrill was so great I even did it again! Imagine that!) I still hesitated every time before making that jump.

Here's the point: You may be afraid to break the habit of "NO" and start living in the "YES!". But I hope you LOVE the idea of what awaits you if you decide to do so. I hope you love your LIFE more!

Again, saying and living in the "NO" is the easiest way to "exist" - it's not living, just existing. No challenges. No risks. No potential failure. But also, no reward and no life.

Don't let the F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) keep you paralyzed where you are... love your life and your LIVING life in the "YES!" more and prepare to jump!

And, hey, as you do so...

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

Mike

Breaking the "NO" Habit!

You've probably seen the following saying: "The best way to break a habit is to drop it!", right? As corny as it sounds - it's TRUE!

Again, I encourage you to check out the article about Phil Keoghan in the February issue of SUCCESS magazine or access it via www.Success.com (on the main page in the left column click on "current issue" and then click on February 2010 and scroll down and find the article) OR just go to our FYU Fan Page on Facebook where I have already posted it for your convenience.

Yesterday we talked about the need to start "Living in the 'YES!'" and today we want to talk about doing so by BREAKING the "no" habit that many of us have gotten too comfortable with.

Again, part of what Phil shares is this: “People become very good at what they practice. If you practice building a ‘wall of no’ up in front of everything you’re trying to do, you’ll be very good at building that wall. The more you practice, the thicker the wall becomes; the more resilient it becomes, the harder it will be to push that wall down.”

So, if this is true - and I do believe it is, don't you? - then we need to make a shift in what it is that we practice! Wouldn't you agree?

Instead of practicing telling ourselves NO all of the time - let's start examining the great potential of getting in the habit of saying YES in our lives!

We - I speak for myself and assume that many of you have experienced the same - have gotten ourselves in the habit of telling ourselves why we CAN'T do something and we need to shift our mindset to start thinking of ways that we CAN!

"Can't" or "No" is easy! It requires no effort and no risk. It's the easiest way out - the path of least resistance. When considering our future or ANYTHING do we really want to take the path of least resistance? Do we REALLY want to take the easy way out?

Likely, if you are reading this blog - you would answer, "NO WAY!" - and that is one time that answering "NO" would be a good thing!

Well, listen, I have to get on with today's business, but I hope you have been stirred up a little to start breaking the "NO" habit and to begin living in the "YES!".

And, as always, as you do so...

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

Mike

It's "Wonderful Wednesday" - WHY NOT NOW?

Yes, Monday was "Magical Monday" and today is "Wonderful Wednesday"! So, how is YOUR Wednesday? Rather, what will YOU make of your Wednesday?

In today's podcast we go a step further in our question of "Why?" As you remember, on Monday we discussed the question, "Why not me?" and today we discuss the question, "Why not now?"

This is will be the first of a two-part discussion because I feel that there is so much more that needs to be discussed about this topic. I do believe that it is SO important in these "difficult times" for us to focus on the POSSIBILITIES rather than the "perceived limitations".

Were you amazed at the well-known and powerful companies that were started during past recessions? Don't you know that there were those giving "advice" to these companies to NOT take that step forward?

What about you? Is that happening to you? Has it happened to you? My guess is that the answer to at least ONE of those questions would be, "yes". I know it is for me! I have - in the past - allowed others to talk me out of "making my move". Perhaps to be even more correct in my wording I would have to say that I (not others) have talked myself out of "making my move".

Likely this is true for you as well.

But what are you waiting on? What are you waiting for? There is no time like NOW!

I encourage you to - on the same sheet of paper that you wrote the words, "Why Not Me?" - also write below that question the words, "Why Not Now?"
I also encourage you to get out a piece of paper and make two columns. On the left side write down your answer to the question, "What am I waiting for? What do I think has to happen before I move forward?" Be honest. Be open. Be real. Force yourself to write those answers down.
On the right side of the paper and across from each of your "answers" (not reasons, you notice) write down when those things will happen. In other words, if - for example - in the left hand column you wrote down, "$25,000 in the bank" - then, in the right hand column write down WHEN that will happen. Put a date on it. I mean, hey, if THAT is something that you are waiting on before you make your move, don't you think you should have a "time stamp" on it?
Then, perhaps, also write down WHAT you are doing to make that happen. What are you doing (using our example above) to gain that level of $25,000 in your account?

WHATEVER IT IS - are they simply obstacles that you have put before your path to progress?

Why would we do that to ourselves?

We'll talk about that in Monday's part 2 podcast of "Why Not Now?"

Until then - be open, be honest, be real with yourself. Until you do, you'll never have the courage to move forward in your life.

Hey, why NOT you? And, why NOT now? Think about it and......

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

Mike Spillman