Believe In YOURSELF...and OTHERS

"Believe in YOURSELF...and OTHERS"

Several years ago, while out on a motorcycle ride, I came across the EXACT same phrase on three different signs over the course of about an hour. There was nothing going on state-wide or nationally that had a specific phrase used that would justify this in the normal sense. But, there it was.

"Believe in Yourself" was the message that kept appearing to me and for me and, after seeing it three times, it got my attention!

Well now, this thought obviously took over my thought process as I began to consider what this message meant for me and WHY this message was coming through so clearly when, coming back through my hometown I glanced over at another sign and read the ending of a message scrolling across it, which read, "...and OTHERS". 

To some extent, this article message relates closely to the last article on taking ACTION with your belief. It is IMPORTANT for you to BELIEVE yourself but, do you believe in yourself to the point of TAKING ACTION based on that belief?

Self-doubt has a way of creeping in and putting a damper on those beliefs and, as a result, it also brings to a stop any action that we had planned to take. 

Take a look in the mirror and say your name and declare the need to believe in yourself... "Hey, Mike - BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!" 

One thing that will help in this process is to DAILY recite my 7 Daily Affirmations that I shared with you in an article a couple of weeks ago. If you missed that article, you can find it here.

Hey, listen, there is more than enough negativity in this world that will work on tearing you down without YOU doing it to yourself! You need to establish a strong base - or foundation - of BELIEF IN YOURSELF so that you can go through your day with more confidence in who you are and what you are able to accomplish. 

Do make sure to understand that there is a difference in being confident and being conceited. When you are confident in yourself and in your abilities, you "walk and stand taller". You carry yourself differently and you begin to take action where, before, you would shy away. Yes, you may confidently say, "I can do that!" but you don't brag. When someone is conceited, they make sure to tell as many people as possible how great they are...and it never stops. They are they best at EVERYTHING and they'll be sure to let you know that. 

People will LISTEN TO and FOLLOW a person that is confident. They will IGNORE and AVOID someone that is conceited.

You will likely find that, as you begin to believe in yourself and increase your confidence that, as a result, you will begin to believe in others easier. Remember? That was the 2nd half of my message on that particular day..."and OTHERS".

Yes, we must be aware of what takes place around us in pretty much all areas of our life. However, I do believe it is possible to be aware and careful without becoming completely untrusting. You see, I think that BELIEF and TRUST go hand in hand.  As a matter of fact, I usually include the following phrase in my daily routine when I say today's phrase out loud..."Believe in yourself and others AND TRUST in others!"

You will also likely find that, as your belief (and trust) in others increases, your relationships (in all areas) will improve. If you are a manager or a "boss" in any way, this is something that you really need to pay attention to and notice the results.

Do you want others to believe in you? Do you want others to trust you? Then friend, it doesn't matter WHAT KIND of relationship we are talking about - in order for that to take place, YOU MUST BELIEVE IN AND TRUST OTHERS! 

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. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

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

BELIEF Without ACTION is WORTHLESS!

"ACTION! - Faith Without Works is Dead! - Belief Without ACTION is Worthless!"

 The Bible states, "Faith without works is dead." (James 2:20). The basic discussion behind this verse is the idea that, you can say anything you want but, without SHOWING what you believe by your ACTIONS, your words mean nothing.

Let's talk about that angle first. You can SAY that you love someone but, friend, you can SAY anything you want, but it's what you DO that REALLY shows if you love that person or not. You can SAY that you CARE about someone but, again, it's what you DO that truly shows what you really feel. 

Someone can say the words, "I'm sorry", and say them again and again and again but, if they never change their actions (which would indicate remorse and the desire to do things differently) then, quite honestly, their words are empty and hollow. They mean nothing. 

For years I have said the following: "You live what you believe." 

The same is true when it comes to what you SAY about what you want to achieve in and for your life. Talk is great! Getting "fired up" by listening to a powerful speaker is great but, if that's all that ever comes from it then, honestly, what has it helped you accomplish?

Have you ever grown tired of listening to someone continuously talk about what they are GOING to do? Maybe you have grown tired to the point that you finally said something like, "When are you going to stop TALKING and start DOING?" 

How about yourself? Are you holding yourself to that same standard? Do you need to ask YOURSELF when you are going to stop TALKING and start DOING? 

Several years back, while working with one of the churches that I did as a minister, I developed a program that I called "Dreamers and Doers". The idea behind it was, simply, to try to get a group of people to go beyond TALKING about things that needed to be done or that "we" wanted to happen and to start DOING things to actually make those things HAPPEN!

The difference between DREAMING and DOING is...are you ready for it?...ACTION! 

Many people give Napoleon Hill a "bad rap" by saying that he believed that all you had to do was believe something and it would take place. People often misquote/misapply the his idea that what the mind believes, one can achieve. However, if one would take the time to actually read his book, "Think and Grow Rich", they will clearly see that Mr. Hill points out that ACTION is an absolute necessity in this process. ACTION! 

Hey, don't ever forget that, even if you "take two steps forward and one step back", you are still making progress. So, here's an easy equation to remember: BELIEF + ACTION = PROGRESS.

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. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

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

Today, I Will Do My Best To Be...

"Today, I Will Do My Best to Be HONORABLE, TRUSTWORTHY and PLEASING TO GOD."

If you've not done so already, be sure to go to the podcast (links found below) and listen as well as reading this article. Same topic, yes, but additional material that you can only get by listening to the podcast version on this topic.

Right off, let's get this "out there" - I'm a believer and, much of what I do and say, reflects that belief as well as my Faith. But, even if you don't believe what I do or as I do, you can still benefit from what I'm going to share with you today.

The phrase that you see highlighted right below the graphic is actually the phrase that you see the red arrow pointing to and the red box around, on my white board. Yep, that's an actual picture of my white board and some of those things on there have been there for quite some time. Sure, feel free to enlarge that picture and take a look around - I'll be sharing each of those things with you over the next several podcasts.

Let me give you a little background information on how this phrase came to be. Again, listen to the podcast to get the "full version". Basically, during a time period that one of my boys was going through in which he was struggling with telling a lie as opposed to the truth, I had him writing sentences as a form of punishment. I also wanted it to be a learning process BUT the lesson that I was teaching at the start of this process was not what I really wanted him to learn. And I didn't catch that fact right away.

Pretty much, I had him writing that he was a liar and that it was not good to be a person that no one could trust or believe. Now, overall, I think that is a powerful lesson that all young people need to understand and learn. Too many people think that it is o.k. to lie and not be honest and they don't think (or, many times, even care) what the consequences are to their life and the lives of those around them.

But, here's what got me. I finally realized that I was having him state these words into his mind and mindset - "I am a liar..." Our words are so powerful and I was making the mistake of directing him to speak these words of defeat into his life.

So I came up with a different approach - the phrase that you see featured for today's article.

Yeah, he still had some sentences that he need to write as part of his punishment/discipline but, now, instead of speaking words of defeat into his life, I now had him writing down a positive affirmation and commitment to strive for something better. And, as part of that process, to BECOME someone better.

Let's take a quick look at a few components of this powerful phrase...

"Today" - The time is NOW! We have no promise for tomorrow and yesterday is history so, in reality, all we have is TODAY and THIS is the day that I will take steps forward in my journey.

"I" - No one else to blame. No one else to expect to do it for you. It's up to me. I am the one responsible and I will be the one to take the needed action in and for my life!

"Will Do My Best" - I'm not striving to be perfect but to simply do my best and to try to be my best. It doesn't mean that I'm taking the easy way out but, rather, that I am committing to actually DOING MY BEST in this endeavor. If I fail and come up short, I will pick myself back up, dust myself off, and continue on striving to "do my best".

"Honorable" - To be HONORABLE is to be a person of HONOR and respect. I am dedicated to living my life (to the best of my ability) as a person "of honor" or a person that strives to live, act, think, and speak in a way that lifts ME up as well as those that are around me.

"Trustworthy" - I want to be a person of trust or a person that can be trusted. I strive to be a person that others KNOW that my word is truth. In other words, I want to be a person that, for one, that doesn't have to make all kinds of silly "I-swear-by-this-or-that" statements to try to get people to believe me. I don't want to have to try and remember what I said to one person or another to make sure that I don't contradict myself. I want to be known for truth - pure and simple. I also want to be one that others know that they can depend on me and that what I say I will do, I will do. Period.

"Pleasing to God" - For me, I want to honor my Maker by doing my best to please Him and live by His ways. In my opinion, living by His ways will make me a better person and a person that brings more value to those around me. For me, striving to be "pleasing to God" calls me to a level of commitment that I need to help me rise up to a higher level for myself. Make sense?

Bottom line: Adapt this however you need to do so but, whatever you do, COMMIT TO BEING A BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Starting today. Right here and right now.

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. 

As always, THANKS for joining me today and, please, share this with as many as possible and always be sure to keep moving forward, closer to your dream!

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

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