Month: March 2024

ASK A DIFFERENT QUESTION ❓️

It is Monday, let us do this week a little different. Normally, the reason we do things is for what we can get out of it. This is not always a monetary issue. We can get a feeling of accomplishment, such as when we clean the house. We can get a feeling of health and energy, like when we finish a good workout. It can even be more seemingly altruistic. Maybe we are doing it to get a good feeling, such as when we help another person. Depending on your motive, this can be a motivating way to move through life.

What I advocate we do this week, is ask ourselves this question, “Who is this going to help me become?” In the case of cleaning the house, will it help you become a more disciplined, less stressed, individual? Working out can leave you a healthier, more flexible and yes, less stressed, person. How about helping someone for no reason other than developing your character and becoming someone who can relate to others better?

This week, ask yourself “Who is this helping me become?” Even dragging yourself into work on a Monday morning when you really don’t feel like it can make you a person who is viewed as reliable. It can also make you someone you can be proud of. A person who takes care of their responsibilities even when they would rather not. It can also help you avoid things you shouldn’t do. Tempted by those doughnuts in the breakroom? Eating them will make you someone who gives into temptation and who does not put an accent on their health. What are your actions helping you become?

THE END, OR THE BEGINNING?🤔

The end of the weekend is fast approaching. Too fast for many of us. Before we pick out a black mourning outfit to wear to work on Monday, let us remember that although we have left our 48 hours of freedom behind, we are starting something new. No, I am not talking about 120 hours in which we are in work mode. Although looking at the numbers, I do feel it should be a little more balanced. What it could be is the beginning of the most wonderful week of our lives. We never know what might await us in the coming days.

As you can see in the photo above, I recently returned from vacation with this beautiful lady. As the days get further away from being in the sunny Bahamas, I have 2 choices. I could lament the fact that it has been even longer since I have been laying on a beach after a breakfast buffet, or I can think that it is the beginning (and one week closer) to planning the next escape with my lovely lady. You may think this is splitting hairs, so to speak, and you may be right. Here is another truth – although both facts may be true, looking at them in different ways will give you entirely different feelings. Why not pick the one that makes you feel good?

Take the words of wisdom from the great Mr. Rogers. Every end is also a new beginning. We should work on fostering feelings of excitement for what is next in our lives. It will have us viewing life as we should, as one big adventure.

DON’T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

It has happened to all of us. Some less-than-thoughtful person says, or does, something to ruin our day. Maybe it is something particularly unnerving that sticks with us. I know that is something yours truly is working on. It can set the tone for your entire day. Here is a hard truth – it shouldn’t. Each person, each interaction, should be viewed as a clean slate. We should give each person a fresh opportunity. This is done not only to benefit those we interact with, but ourselves as well. If you let that bad experience fester, it can really drive you crazy. Trust me, it is something that I know all too well.

That creates the question, how do we start fresh with each person? By seeing them for what they are, a new adventure to discover and unfold. Even the same person who is always negative can transform through some life epiphany. The odds may play against that, but it can happen. I have a lady at my day job who is like that. Let us call her “Michelle”. Whenever I have cause to interact with this young lady, there are a few things I do. First, I guard my energy because she is an emotional vampire who can suck the joy out of you. Then, I remember it is an opportunity to try and influence her energy instead of the other way around. Then, I do my best to remember that anyone can change. Even those who have been the same for years.

Just like wearing garlic for regular vampires, you must protect your energy with emotional vampires as well. Use the steps above. If you are feeling a bit down, be that physically or emotionally, do your best to avoid them. When you do interact with them, remember to give them opportunities to change their ways. If they do, encourage them by reacting positively. If they do not, be grateful that you are not the same. I also find viewing it like an emotional day at the gym. When we work out physically, we encounter resistance. It is always work, and seldom fun. Yet, we leave the gym feeling stronger and as a slightly better version of ourselves.

Just remember these important things when encountering sunshine-challenged people. First, protect your own energy. You can do this in many different ways. Use the one that speaks to you. Do not forget to give them the benefit of the doubt. Anyone can change at any time. If they have not, view it as an emotional workout. Let it strengthen your ability to remain positive in the face of negativity.

A TACO MEDITATION 🧘‍♂️

Here was a video I filmed for my YouTube channel 5 years ago! You can hear Margie laugh. You can see that I am not good at keeping things to 99 seconds! Most of all, you will discover what a taco meditation is and how you can use it in your own life.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TACO MEDITATION

THRIVE THURSDAY! 🥳

It is time to celebrate what is working in your life. It can often feel like the whole world is upside down, but there is always something that is working. Your entire life may feel like a dumpster fire, but maybe your dog likes you? You certainly have a way of reading these inspiring words. That means you either have a working computer, phone or access to one of those.

We can find ourselves focused on what is not working in our lives in an attempt to fix it. That is not entirely bad. What we must caution ourselves on, is staring at the cracks and missing the rest of the wall. In other words, seeing the problems in our life without appreciating what is working. Today, take a moment to acknowledge and give thanks for all that is right in your life. Share some with the rest of us if you feel so inspired.

SHIFT YOUR FOCUS 👀

My fourth book will be dedicated to taking you from a life of striving, to one of thriving. As we all wait for the release of this future bestseller, I wanted to get you a tip many of us skip over.

In our busy working world, we can become so focused on what we have to ‘do’ and ‘overcome’ that we forget to give attention to what we want to ‘be’and who we want to ‘become’. Which is why we are doing and overcoming those things in the first place.

Today, take a few minutes to focus on the goals and dreams you are working for. It will not only strengthen your drive, but refresh your spirit. It will also give you a moments break from all of the challenges.

MOTIVATION THAT GOES WITH YOU!😃

Love being motivated, but don’t have the time to sit and read these blogs? Maybe you are just not a fan of reading? Get all of the inspiration with none of the reading!

For those of you who might not know, I have a motivational podcast called,  “Living the Dream with Neil Panosian“. It is available in all of the streaming platforms. We cover many different subjects and all you have to do is push ‘play’! I’ll include the Spotify link at the end of this post, or check your favorite formats. Season 3 is about to launch so subscribe today!😃

HERE IS THE SPOTIFY LINK TO THE PODCAST!!

THE BEST MOTIVATION 💪

This gent is Jocko Willink. One of the people I listen to for strategy and tools for improving myself. As a former Navy Seal, he has learned some valuable lessons. His book, Discipline Equals Freedom, is a must read for anyone looking to take charge of their life. He also has some very helpful YouTube videos I would recommend checking out. It was in one of these very videos that I got the idea for today’s post. In the video, Jocko discusses people’s need for constant motivation. Personally, I surround myself with as many motivating tools as I can. From pictures to playlists, I do my best to always have something motivating at arm’s length. It is so easy to slip, that I think we could always use a helping hand.

The point of his video was that he did not like what the words ‘self-improvement’, ‘self-help’ and ‘motivation’ have come to mean. In today’s world, rather than spend time working on themselves, people spend that time looking for a hack, or quick fix that requires very little effort. The time they spent looking for this hack, could have been spent in diligent effort on long-lasting improvement. When he came to the word ‘motivation’ that’s when something clicked. He mentioned that people think this means having someone acting as a cheerleader or standing behind them yelling at them to push forward. That is not at all what it means.

If you take the word ‘motivation’ apart, it means to find, or have, a motive. In other words, knowing your ‘why’. I heard a saying once that the difference between a warrior and a soldier is that a soldier fights because he hates who is front of him, but a warrior fights because he loves who is behind him. When you are reminded why you started your goal in the first place, and what you have to lose if you fail to achieve it, that is the best motivation. When you are working out, if you think of how important it is to be healthy to be around for those you love and who depend on you, it will be a lot easier to do that extra rep.

In addition to that playlist you have in your phone, on top of that speech you listen to in order to get fired up, remember to discover your motive. This will keep you going when all else fails.

YOU JUST MIGHT BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MIRACLE 🙏

Have you ever been in a situation where you seem like you just can’t take any more? We all have. You are hoping for that miracle. It could be to land that job, to win the affection of that certain someone. It might be you are wishing for a miracle healing for yourself, or a loved one. Then, the job goes to someone else. The person you like ends up having feelings for the other gender. The doctor report comes back with more bad news. It can leave you with a feeling of hopelessness. You may find yourself asking questions like, “Why me?” You have been an upstanding individual. You have been treating everyone with kindness. Why is life so difficult for you. In some cases, you may even look at the good fortune of those who you feel may not be as enlightened as yourself and wonder how fair the universe is really being.

Sometimes we are delivered from the fires of life. That is easy to recognize as a miracle. When things go how we want them to, and when we want them to, it is indeed a miracle. If things always happened this way, we would have a life of ease. This may sound like quite the miracle, but it would make us one weak person. When we feel like instead of being delivered from the fire, we are being thrown in it, we might just being fireproofed. It is rarely fun, but resistance builds strength. This is as true in life as it is in the gym. When we go through the fires of life, we are being forged into a stronger and more resilient version of ourselves.

In life, we all want the quick miracle, the quick fix. We want the job. We want the love and the healing. When we don’t get it, we cease to believe in miracles. Worse yet, many of us begin to view the world as a cruel place. This can be very dangerous. Albert Einstein, one of the smartest people to exist, was asked what the most important question to ask was. His answer? “Is the Universe a friendly place?” The reason this is so important is because it will dictate our attitude and actions towards living our life. Shakespeare, a rather brilliant writer, also weighed in on the subject saying, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” In other words, it is more about how we look at the situation than the fact themselves that determine if it is good or bad.

WEEKEND REMINDER 🤔

Just a quick reminder that even on the weekend, we must be aware of how we are thinking and the attitude we are bringing to life. It can be all too easy to slip into negative habits. Make sure to keep your mind and body sharp, even on the weekend.