5 and 6: Don't Quit & No Excuses!

Before I do anything else in this article, I want to take a moment and give a special "shout out" to those that have read my blog this week (that I know of). If you're location is not on this list, hop on over to the fan page on Facebook and let me know! This is just for this week, the 1st week  for the month of May...Benton, AR., San Mateo, CA., Charlotte, N.C., Kathleen, FL., Flushing, N.Y., Zurich, Switzerland; Islamabad, Pakistan and Central District, Hong Kong. (By the way, I give a "shout out" on the podcast as well, so be sure you listen and give a cheer when your location is named!)

Secondly, before I get into the "meat" of the article, I want to share a picture with you of my "Power Board" that has all of the things on it that I have shared with you over the last couple of weeks. No, I didn't cover EVERYTHING on that board, but I did talk about most of it. I may hit a couple of more things from this board in the next week. Tune in and see!

My "Power Board"

 Now then, let's get to it! I'm combining the last two of these 6 "encouragement points" into one article for two reasons. One, so that I can finish this up in one week and, two, because these last two go "hand-in-hand".

If you've followed me for very long, you have heard me stress this point on many occasions - DON'T QUIT! Hey listen, no matter who you are or what you do, there are going to be times that you become discouraged and/or frustrated and, at those times, you will be tempted to quit.

Again, it doesn't matter WHO you are! There are times that you may actually wish that you could quit being a parent. And, there are some people out there that DO quit and, literally, walk away from that responsibility. BUT THAT'S NOT YOU!

You may find that there are times that you wish you could quit being a husband or wife. And, we both know that there have been MANY that have "quit" on those relationships. (Quick note: Making a necessary change does not mean that you quit, o.k.? Only you can answer the deep down question on whether you quit or not but, again, a change does not mean one quit.)

You may find times that you want to quit your job, school, some sort of training or any number of things that you have committed to...but you don't.  

 I want to share one more graphic with you that I put together the other day. If you ever take a look at the fan page on Facebook, then you likely saw it there. I love putting together phrases that can inspire others and, I hope that this will be one that will inspire you...

Please be sure to listen to the podcast (links to the RSS feed as well as iTunes can be found at the bottom of this article) to hear more on this point but, friend, no matter what happens, DON'T YOU DARE EVER GIVE UP!

 Oh, and don't make excuses, either. 

Here's one reason I say these two things go hand-in-hand...most people (if not ALL) that QUIT are ready and loaded with plenty of EXCUSES as to why they did so. 

As a matter of fact, if you are honest with yourself, you will discover that you have done and maybe ARE DOING the exact same thing. For whatever reason, it just seems to be human nature to try to "defend" our decisions - especially those that we feel others may look at with a disapproving eye. And, we tend to make those excuses because we, ourselves, don't like the fact that we quit. 

You know exactly what I'm talking about, right?

Take personal responsibility for whatever decision that you make. Don't blame others or other things. Many times, people quickly makes excuses when they quit something by blaming others (my boss, my co-workers, my husband, my wife, etc.) or other things (my job, my workplace, stress, etc.). 

I once read a story about George Washington and how, during one battle in which he and his men rowed there boats upon an enemies shore, he told his men to push the empty boats back out on the water. Why? He wanted there to be no way out. He wanted his men to realize that there was no going back and that they could not "quit and run".

In other words, he removed all excuses.

 And, friend, in order to keep going when you want to quit, you MUST remove ALL excuses even before you are tempted to use them.

Just think about how powerful you can become simply by living a "NO QUIT - NO EXCUSES" lifestyle! That, alone, sets you apart from the majority of those around you.

You can do it! Keep coming back here for more positive encouragement to help you in this process and please share it with others...don't you think THEY need it as well? Of course they do! :)

Once again, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

I hope you have a great weekend and, to all the Mom's out there, I want to wish you a very special "Mother's Day" on Sunday. I hope you have an incredible day!

And, until next time, whatever you do,  be sure to...

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

4 of 6: "SET GOALS!"

"Aim for nothing and you're sure to hit it every time!"

You've likely heard that quote (or something close to it) many times before and, friend, it is the truth! What is YOUR view on that?

I actually have known people over the years that felt that the best way to keep from being disappointed is to simply not do anything. Don't expect anything. Don't hope or wish for anything. Don't set any goals in any area. Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed. 

That's true! However, it's also true that if you EXPECT NOTHING by DOING NOTHING, then you will RECEIVE NOTHING! It's that old saying that comes from the Bible, "What you sow, you shall also reap."

It's a very basic premise in planting of ANY kind, whether it be farming or just planting flowers around the yard. What you plant (as well as how MUCH you plant) will determine what (and how much) you "get back" at "harvest time" or when that plant comes to fruition. 

YES, all of this DOES have something to do with "Setting Goals"! 

If you don't want to be disappointed - don't set goals. If you don't want to become discouraged - don't set goals. If you don't want to improve your life and better yourself - don't set goals. If you don't want to be challenged and/or "stretched" - don't set goals.

Bottom line: ANY of things that I discuss on this blog and through the podcast really relies on one thing - it's the fact that IT'S UP TO YOU if you decide to put any of them into practice!

Hey listen, there are a LOT of people that like to ACT LIKE, TALK LIKE and PRETEND that they are doing things to make a difference in their life but, when it gets down to it, it's just that...it's jut an ACT, a bunch of TALK and nothing but PRETEND!

What sets YOU apart is when you decide to actually put ACTION behind the words and plans. 

In reality, "Setting Goals" is just PART of the process. To be honest, ANYONE can SET a goal - that's the easy part! At that point, it's just talk.

It's when you TAKE STEPS TOWARD THAT GOAL that the change begins to take place and you begin to set yourself apart from all of the "talkers". You now become a "doer"!

One can talk about taking a trip to a certain place - maybe even to go and visit family members. They can talk about it and say over and over again that they PLAN to do so "one of these days". However, until that person actually PLANS the actual time needed and then actually takes the steps of scheduling time off from work, double-checks with that family member that it is a good time to come for a visit and GETS IN THE CAR, starts it up and heads out (or gets on a plane, etc) it's nothing but talk and that visit will never take place.

The KEY is ACTION. 

Setting goals is one thing. Actively MOVING TOWARD those goals is something completely different and, again, it is here that the change begins to take place.

Once again, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

Join me in the next article as I bring to a conclusion my discussion of these 6 important "tasks" for our life from my "POWER Board". I'll be covering #5: Don't Quit and #6: No Excuses! Be sure to join me as I wrap up this discussion.

And, until next time, whatever you do,  be sure to...

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

3 of 6: ATTITUDE!

ATTITUDE. Good or bad, it's something that we all have. And, on any given day, we may have both...several times throughout the day!

Your ATTITUDE can and will either be a CURSE and poisonous OR it will be a BLESSING to those with whom you come into contact.  You literally hold the keys to LIFE or DEATH of a person's mindset in YOUR ATTITUDE. 

And, you hold that same key for your OWN life through your attitude. 

Am I over-stating the importance of ATTITUDE? You decide for yourself as you look over the following quotes...

"People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude." - John C. Maxwell

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. Wade Boggs
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_attitude.html

"A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results." -  Wade Boggs 

"Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." -  Zig Ziglar 

 "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." -  Winston Churchill

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." -  Thomas Jefferson

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results. Wade Boggs
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_attitude.html

The things that I have stated so far in this article as well as the profound words found in the above quotes, just emphasize even more, how important it is to PROTECT YOUR MINDSET and, thus, your ATTITUDE.

I was reading an article just yesterday about a lady (she was the author of the article) who, over time and due to different things that she was not happy with, allowed her attitude to become more and more negative as that time passed by. And, as a direct result, she was "let go". In other words, she was fired and told to move on. 

Again, a bad attitude can POISON one's life...EVERY area of that life.

Now, let's end this on a "high" note and talk about the POWER of a POSITIVE ATTITUDE.

Your positive attitude can (and will) make all the difference in the direction of your life and ALL relationships in your life. That, my friend, is a FACT and one that you need to consider very seriously. Go back and read again what Thomas Jefferson said about the man with "the right mental attitude"...HE CANNOT BE STOPPED!

That's right, friend. What you allow INTO your mind and what you allow to STAY in your mind will have a direct impact upon the direction of your life!! (Yeah, that was worth TWO exclamation points). And, as a direct result, it will also have a PROFOUND and POSITIVE impact upon the lives of many people around you in any area of your life.

Now then, if you haven't done so yet, you need to listen to the podcast on today's topic. Just click one of the links at the bottom of this article to do so. There is SO MUCH MORE information and additional thoughts that I share with you there that is not found in this article. 

If you listen by going to iTunes, please take a moment and leave a review - I thank you in advance! Also, be sure to stop by the FYU fan page on Facebook and let me know that you left that review AND to just say "hello" and let me know that you are benefiting from Future You University. 

Join me in the next article as I continue to discuss these 6 important "tasks" for our life from my "POWER Board". 

And, until next time, whatever you do,  be sure to...

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

2 of 6: "APPRECIATE PEOPLE"

Unless you have found a way to become a complete hermit, you WILL come into contact with people from time to time and, usually, on a fairly regular basis. And, that being said, it's not always easy to appreciate some of those people, is it?

Some people know how to "push those buttons" that make it hard to appreciate them and to keep a positive mindset BUT we must understand something very clearly. Although those people may be able to "push our buttons" but they do NOT have the power to "make us mad" or "put me in a bad mood". They do NOT have the ability to do that...WE have the power over our mindset and our emotions and we are the ONLY ones that determine what happens in such situations. 

Remember the "formula" that I shared with you that I picked up from Jack Canfield? Here it is again: E + R = O, which stands for EVENT + RESPONSE = OUTCOME. We all have those "events" in our life, but it is our RESPONSE to those events that will determine what happens on the other side of that event...or what we would call the outcome. 

This is one reason that it is so important to infuse as much positive information into our mind as possible. Again, the more that is there, the easier it is to access that information when those tough situations come along. 

Make a determination TODAY - right now - that YOU will be in control of these situations and that YOU will use YOUR positive attitude and mindset to help direct the path of these situations. Use YOUR influence to battle the negativity and to help "turn things around" instead of letting those with their negative attitudes freely spew their "poison" all over you and those around you.

This does not mean that there has to be any type of confrontation. It simply means that, with your words and actions, you have the ability to deflate and defeat the impact of negative thoughts and emotions. YES, IT IS THAT POWERFUL!

Now, let's look at another way in which we can appreciate people. 

EVERYONE loves to be appreciated! EVERYONE loves it when others notice the work that they do and when someone takes the time to share a word of thanks and encouragement.

I want to encourage you to "open your eyes" to those around you and make an effort to do just that - to simply let them know that you appreciate what they do. 

Many of these people have become "invisible" in our lives. We have just grown accustomed to them "being there" and doing their job without us really even noticing them or what it is that they are doing. And, many times, these people go unnoticed by others as well.

But you, friend, can make a difference!

I remember hearing Colin Powell, former United States Secretary of State, say that he would always be sure to spend a little time talking to the parking lot attendants as he came and left the parking garage. He had noticed how most people just handed their ticket to the attendant without saying a word and then went on their way as quickly as possible. Mr. Powell, however, would make eye contact with them and have a brief conversation with them whenever possible.

Do you think those people appreciated someone actually SEEING them? You KNOW that they did!

Here's another challenge, friend. See how may people you can notice that you have tended NOT to notice in the past. Make an effort to take a moment and say "hello" to them, ask them how they are doing and even that you appreciate what they do. Compliment them. Wish them well and see what happens.

You just never know how YOUR comments may turn their day around for the better. And, you just never know how YOUR positive comments may "ripple" off from that person on to someone else.

Don't ever doubt that a POSITIVE mindset is very POWERFUL. 

Have some fun along the way and make a positive impact on your world as you do so.

And, as always, wherever you go and whatever you do, be sure to...

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

Mike

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed

1 of 6: CONTINUE TO LEARN

You got it! I'm going to be sharing more of the information that I have on my "Power Board" that I try to take a look at every single day. I don't always succeed in that goal but, for the most part, I DO take a moment looking at these each day. 

As always, I want to encourage you to listen to the podcast as well, so that you can get the FULL spectrum of thoughts and information that I share on this topic, o.k.? You can find the links to the podcast at the very end of this article. If you do so by going to iTunes, would you mind taking a moment and leaving a review while you are there? Thanks! I appreciate it, in advance!

The idea that one can relax and "be done" with their education when they graduate from High School or college is an absolute falsehood. Whether we like it or not, IF we want to continue to move forward in our chosen field then, friend, there WILL be times that we will have to take some sort of continuing education course for a variety of reasons.

Oh, you can choose NOT to do so but you can also likely prepare to be demoted if not "let go" from that said position. 

If you listen to my podcast, you will hear me start each podcast with the phrase, "Your greatest education takes place on the campus of your mind." This is not necessarily referring to the "continuing education" type of "education" that I'm talking about when I say that. Again, this type of education is pretty much a certainty but what I'm talking about is the information - EDUCATION - that you get by adding positive information (such as this) to the "library of your mind". 

There is an old computer phrase, "G.I.G.O." which means "Garbage In, Garbage Out". In other words, whatever you "put in" (program) a computer is what you will "get out". A computer really can't think. It simply "spits out" information that has been put in, or programmed, into it by a human.

The same is true for our minds, friend. Whatever you put in or ALLOW in is what will "come out" or be available to you and for you. Does that matter? YOU BET IT DOES!

I'm not telling you anything that you don't already know when I say that there are more than enough people around you that are willing to "rain on your parade" with their negativity. Right? How you respond to that negativity and how you SURVIVE that type of negativity throughout the course of your day will be determined by what you have available to you via your mind or mindset.

YOU are responsible for what is added to "the library of your mind". That's right, YOU! 

You are responsible for what you let in and what you BLOCK from entering and becoming embedded in your mind and mindset. 

I want to encourage you to become TENACIOUS - a "bulldog" - about NOT letting ANY negativity to slip past your guard and get into your mind and mindset. 

It's not always easy but I think it is IMPERATIVE that you do so. Hey, let me say how thankful I am that you are allowing me to be a part of this process through you reading this blog article. I hope you will make this a habit - if it's not already - and that you will add the podcast as part of your DAILY routine. 

Think about the information that I've shared with you today and explore it further as to what it means for you and your situation as well as how you can apply this to your life. Take a moment, stop by the fan page on Facebook , and let me know what this means for you today.

Join me as, in the next article, I share with you #2 of 6: APPRECIATE PEOPLE. Be thinking about that in advance. I know that you can already agree with me that it's not always easy to appreciate others, is it?

See you then and, 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

Future You University   FYU on Facebook!   Podcast on iTunes   Podcast RSS feed