Month: August 2023

ARE YOU UNKNOWINGLY SPREADING THIS SICKNESS? 😷

As I make my way through the sea of humanity at the Wisconsin State Fair, I noticed a disturbing trend. That is the amount of negative and sarcastic t-shirts I see people wearing. I’m no fashion mogul, but I find this to be a terrible choice. Here is a sample of what I saw- “when it comes to your opinion, I don’t f#$king care” “you would do the world a favor if you were not here” and one gentleman proudly wearing a shirt (that did appear a size or 2 smaller than it should be) that said “straight out of Uranus” which,I guess, would make him a piece of… you get the idea.

I’m sure when these people purchased these shirts they may of chuckled. Can you imagine reading shirt after shirt with messages like this? I thought about the shirt that said “it would be better if you weren’t here“ All I could think of was how many people are waking around barely hanging on. Even reading such a message on a t-shirt could put them over the edge. Not to mention, having something on your shirt is really the equivalent of waking up and saying it to everyone who reads it. That can be sharing your uninspiring message with a lot of folks.

Here is another crazy thing I saw. Businesses who fill their stands and merchandise with sarcastic and negative items. There was a restaurant who’s shirts say “nobody cares. You suck.” What a great message to be associated with your brand. I’m sure to them is was a humorous and harmless saying on a t-shirt. I would wager some of these people also are asking, “Why is the world becoming such a negative place?”

One shirt with a negative saying may seem harmless enough. Perhaps it is, but filling the world with them seems to be a step in the wrong direction if you ask me. Many of us have days where we struggle just to keep our head above water. Reading messages meant to insult and bring us down at every turn can make that job even harder. Ask yourself this question next time you put that shirt on. What will it accomplish? Would you walk up to everyone you pass and say that to them? Would you want people to walk up and say it to you?

QUESTION IT ALL 🤔

Here is a little exercise that I like to do just like Walt Whitman. It drove teachers, pastors and parents nuts. I question everything. Even my doctor. When he tells me, “Neil, you have ____. Just take ____ and it will get better.” That is not good enough for me. I ask how I got it, what can I do to help heal it and how can I prevent getting it in the future. Lately, he seems a bit too annoyed with these questions. It may be time for a new doctor.

We often accept things we were told as children without questioning them as adults. Things our parents, teachers, the government and even doctors have told us years, sometimes decades ago. That’s not to say all of this is wrong, but I think most things are with a second look.

It reminds me of the story of the circus elephant tied to the small stake. Looking at this, you may wonder, “Why would the elephant not pull the stake out of the ground and walk to freedom?” He tried that and he was young and they first tied him up to the stake. He was small and weak and was unable to pull the stake out of the ground. Now that he is large and strong, he never decides to question whether or not the situation has changed.

Reading this, you may come to the conclusion that elephants are dumb,or at least intellectually inferior to us. Before you quickly judge, ask yourself one thing. Is this not what humans do when they allow themselves to be chained by opinions and beliefs from their past?

We are constantly learning new things and having new experiences. Does it not make sense to take a fresh look at old beliefs with a new perspective? You may find some no longer hold true for you. You may also find you are even more passionate about others. How about you? Are there some things you might want to question in your life?

REMEMBER TO STAY FOCUSED! 🏝

As you can see, here at secret2anamazinglife.com, we are celebrating 400 days straight of bringing you motivational and inspirational content. Technically, we are on vacation right now. Even while enjoying the bliss that is time away from the daily grind we must still keep our goals firmly in sight. In this case, that is sharing a post everyday this year.

How about you? What goals are you pursuing? What are the likely distractions that could get you off course? Even by writing them down, you are more likely to overcome them because you will be on the lookout for them. This week, focus on your goals. Hopefully you already have those written down. If not, do so right away. Also write down distractions that may trip you up so you can be on the lookout for them as well.

PAIR YOUR FAVORITES!

Above is a picture of 2 of my favorite items at the Wisconsin State Fair. A delicious cream puff and Valentine coffee. Much like going to the Fair (my favorite place) with Margie (my favorite person) I try to combine favorites. It is like multiplying the joy!

How about you? Are there things you enjoy that you can pair and make them even more fun?

TAKE YOURSELF AWAY..🏝

One of the great secrets that I use to make through tough times is taking mini mental vacations. I often tell people that your mind and your body do not have to be in the same place at the same time.

Mini mental vacations can be done in a variety of different ways. You can put on headphones and listen to ocean waves. You can take a short trip to a tanning booth in the middle of winter. You can use some vanilla and coconut essential oils. You could do all 3 at the same time! Having pictures of places you want to visit helps as well. Whatever you can do to take yourself there mentally.

This week, give yourself a mini mental vacation. Take some time to escape from the stress of the work week. It will be good for your health and good for your productivity in the long run.

EMPTY YOUR PURSE HERE 💰

This weekend remember to invest in yourself and your knowledge. It doesn’t have to be formal education. Even investing a small amount of time in reading 📚 a few pages of something educational, motivational or inspiring is a very solid investment.

Not much of a reader? You can always use YouTube for some great audiobooks or videos. There are also many great Podcasts that can offer you what could be your next million dollar idea! I personally recommend the “Living the Dream with Neil Panosian” podcast. Whatever way you choose to do it, invest in yourself this weekend. Not only are the dividends great, but once you make this investment, it is yours for life!

FIND NEW ADVENTURE IN FAMILIAR PLACES

Last post we discussed my love for the Wisconsin State Fair. The most common question I get is how do I not get bored. Lucky for me, I have mastered a key to keeping life exciting. That key is the ability to keep a fresh perspective. When I go to the fair,I go with different people. Some like music, some food, some shopping. That makes each experience unique

The fair also has new things to explore every year. This year was a cool circus. There are new bands to listen to. As I write this I am listening to a band cover Bob Marley’s “Simmer Down”. So there are outside circumstances that are changing.

That being said, one of the keys to an amazing life is your perspective. Looking at things from a different angle makes them fresh and new. This is so key when it comes to keeping your relationship fresh. I look at the relationship I share with Margie in new ways all of the time. It not only keeps it fresh, it prevents me from taking any of the wonders we share for granted. It also shines a light on many wonderful sides of her I might have missed.

How about you? What can you renew by changing your perspective? It will keep your life fun and exciting!

IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT!🙃

This blog post title comes with a caveat. If what feels good to you causes harm to yourself or others, than by all means, do NOT do it. I will not be responsible for you trying some ridiculous Tik Tok challenge. What I can tell you, is that if you find something in your life that feeds your soul, do it and do it often. In life, we are all to often asked, or required, to do things that drain our spirit and our soul. That could be a job that we do not relish. It could be coworkers that are less than inspiring.

This is a picture of my beautiful love, Margie, and I at the Wisconsin State Fair. Almost 20 years ago, I decided that was one of my favorite places to be. Since being with Margie, it has turned into two of my favorite places to be. The Wisconsin State Fair and with her. I enjoy the food, the garden and art tours throughout the grounds, dancing in the sand at the reggae bar and all of the kitchen gadgets that Margie and I purchase that we do not need. It runs 11 days in early August. On a fine day in 1996, I decided if I liked it so much, why don’t I attend it all 11 days? I have done so every year since. I go with different people and always have a great time. Some of my friends like the bands. Some of them like the food. Some like shopping and I hope they all like spending a day with yours truly.

A few years ago I even purchased a personalized brick to be placed at the fair. It not only went to support the event, but celebrated my favorite person to attend with. It has become an added bonus to look at when we are there. Creating memories with friends, family and of course Margie, is something I look forward to all year long. By the time you read this, we will have attended the first day with my mother. We have plans with good friends Faith, CJ, Nicci, Chris, Heidi and others. Each one will be a sharing of happiness, friendship and love for life.

If there is something in your life that brings joy to your spirit and soul, celebrate it as often as you can. Life will certainly throw challenges your way. It is always good to have something ready to lift your spirit. Why not? We all deserve that inner joy and sense of well-being. I look forward to hearing what brings joy to that beautiful heart of yours.

WE CAN ALL DO GOOD. 😇

Here is a point worth pondering. Many of us who are in survival mode fail to recognize, or take advantage of, the opportunities to do good. If your focus is to just wake up, go to work and pay the bills, you are missing out on a large portion of life. My fourth book, which will be released late 2023/early 2024, will be focusing on switching our life from surviving to thriving. One of the best ways to do that is by acting and not reacting to life. If you assume that if you are not doing harm, you are therefore doing good, that is only half of the story.

It was this very thought that gave me a brilliant idea. I was searching for how to put my gift to the best use. As an author and writer, the ways in which I can do good seemed somewhat limited. As quickly as that thought came, it was replaced by one that removed those limits. My good did not have to be limited to donating books to local cancer centers. Although that was one of the more rewarding aspects of my writing career. No, by using the products I had created, I was able to raise money for two wonderful causes.

I hosted a book signing. 100% of the profits from the sale of my books was given as a donation to two wonderful local charities. This, along with money from donation buckets we had set up and a generous donation from the establishment hosting the event, allowed us to really make a difference. When all was said and done, we were able to donate $250 to W.I.S.H. (Women Initiate self-healing and hope) Which is a group that supports victims of domestic violence by hosting support meetings as well as providing them some essentials needed for these ladies who were forced to start their lives over.

In addition, we were able to donate another $250 to Rescue Gang. This is a group that not only rescues animals, provides them the medical attention they need, but also has a network of foster families that care for these animals until a forever home can be found for them. It is sad that animals cannot raise their voices for help, and that we must serve as that voice.

Handing over checks to these two amazing and hard-working ladies (Thank you Holly and Jennifer) was a very rewarding experience. It did open my eyes to the many possibilities still out there. Not only for me, but for you as well. What is your gift? Have you discovered all of the ways in which you can use it? If you are a person that does siding, you could not only assist on helping to provide siding to a local church, but could donate a portion of your sales to help other causes near and dear to your heart. You could reserve a spot of your delivery truck or website to a deserving local charity. Again, the possibilities are endless. Not only are the ways to help countless, so are the groups that need our help. My challenge for you today is to find one of the groups you passionately believe in and then brainstorm on ways you can use your gifts and talents to help them. Working together, we can make a big difference in supporting those who make our world a better place.

KEEP FOCUSED 😃

Wednesday, the middle of the week. As we look to the second half of the week, there is a temptation to feel overwhelmed. The always seems to be more work at the end of the week. In order to stay focused and pushing forward, I suggest recognizing how far we have come.

This holds true not only for work, but family, friends and relationships. There often seems like such a mountain to climb in life, we may feel like giving up. It is so important to remember all the hard work we have put in up to that point. It is often that very thing that will allow us to persevere to the end

Whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, whatever goal you are trying to achieve, don’t give up my friends. You may not be where you want to be, but you are a lot further than you were.