Tag: Motivation

HOW IT WILL LIKELY BE 😮

Monday morning will be time to start our weekly grind. For those of us in business for ourselves, the work never stops. Whether we are talking financially, spiritually or even relationships, the picture above holds true. I am not sure why we assume that success, in any endeavor, will be linear. There are peaks and valleys. How we view each will go a long way in determining the quality of our life. Understanding this will happen is the first key to success. Having the unrealistic expectation that life will be a continuous series of ups will only set us up for disappointment.

Most of us understand this point intellectually. Yet, when it happens to us we feel like we are failures or may never succeed. This is why sites like this, and motivation in general is so important. There are moments even the most enlightened and driven of us find ourselves in a world of doubt. That is why it is so important to continue to prepare for challenges before they happen. On my appearance on the television show, Positively Milwaukee, I used the analogy that it is better to learn to swim on the shore then when the boat is sinking. In other words, know there will be challenges, on all levels and do your best to prepare for them.

This quote from Zig Ziglar rings true. We never know when challenges will arise. If it happens today, chances are that thing you read, or video you watched last week, will not help you. We need to feed our spirit daily. When we talk about feeding our spirit, it is the same as feeding our body. What we feed it is just as important as how often we feed it. There is a saying in the computer programing field, “Garbage in, garbage out.” The same holds true for what we allow in our spirit. Is it filled with people who complain, and talk shows that tell us the sky is falling? Do we spend a few minutes a day in quite meditation, or at least contemplation? Do we read/watch/listen to something inspiring every day?

In life let us take the lessons from the both the peaks and valleys. Let us also understand they are both part of our journey and we are going to experience both on the way to success.

FULFILLMENT ACCORDING TO MAC 👈

Today’s post will feature a deep dive into an answer to a question I posed to several friends and associates. The question was, “What, in your opinion, makes for a truly fulfilling life?” We will take a deeper dive into the answer featured in today’s post. This includes looking at how we can implement their ideas for fulfillment into our own life. This will allow all of us to wake up with a greater sense of inner peace and joy. If these answers inspire you, and you would like to share your own feeling on what makes life fulfilling, feel free to do so in the comments below. You could be featured in a future post or in my next book! Now let us take a look at today’s answer!

Today’s answer comes courtesy of Mac. He is a gentleman I connected with because we both share a health challenge. After much conversation, it appears we share much more. Our general attitude towards life and our place in it is also rather similar. I look forward to getting to know this man better and continue to learn from him. Even our thoughts about a fulfilling life resonate with each other. His answer also reflects who he is as a man. Without further build up, let us look at what Mac thinks makes a fulfilling life.

“To wake up beside my wife each day and to work together throughout the day to accomplish our goals as a team”

Both Mac and I certainly find fulfillment in waking up next to the beautiful lady we love. What this highlights is the importance and benefit of, not only loving and seeing the beauty in your spouse, but finding fulfillment in that. All too often familiarity can breed contempt or at the very least, taking your partner for granted. Mac understands both parties benefit when the appreciation for each other never stops.

There is one more thing you might have missed in Mac’s answer. Although his answer highlights his deep love for the woman in his life, it reflects something even bigger. Throughout my conversations with Mac about my upcoming book, as well as our health, he focus has always been on one thing – gratitude.

Mac has expressed gratitude for many things in his life. This has ranged from a simple cup of great coffee, to walking in nature and feeding squirrels. Two more things we have in common. Mac reminds us that the more we are grateful for things that we do have in our lives, the more fulfillment we experience.

How about you? Are you grateful for waking up next to your spouse, or have you started to take them for granted? Even if you don’t have a spouse, are you grateful for the great many simple pleasures in your life? What are they? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.

HOW TO BE COOL 😎

It seems these days everyone is looking to be cool. They might not phrase it that way. Perhaps they want more ‘influence‘. There are different terms for it, but people want to be significant and stand out. Above is the ticket to doing so.

You may dismiss these behaviors as insignificant or not very impressive. Let me assure you they are so rare they will impress anyone you use them on.

Here is a little challenge. As impressive as these are on their own, the more you do, the cooler you will be. Perhaps print a copy off and see how many you can check off in a day. See if you can manage to do the whole list.

Which behavior on this list do you think makes somebody cool? Let us know in the comments below.

LITTLE VICTORIES 🏆

Do you ever get the feeling you are chasing the brass ring… and an Olympic sprinter is wearing it? That is to say you can never quite catch it? When we spend our life focused on chasing the next big goal and saving our celebration until we reach it, life can feel like one big chores.

What is the secret to an amazing life? As the photo above states, celebrating the little wins. There are so many ways in which to do this. As I mentioned in the last few posts, the weather here is so cold it is downright dangerous. The other night, my lovely Margie and I had to go out to our DJ job. It was -3° F when we left. My 2005 Ford Escape not only made it home but purred like a kitten. To me, making it home safe was a win.

Celebrating safe travels and good health keep us realizing how much we truly do have. I’m sitting in a local Korean coffee shop writing this. I’m so glad my city not only has one of these, but I am able to enjoy it. This will be the 935th day in a row for these blogs. That is worth Celebrating. I’m not waiting to celebrate until I reach my goal of 1000. The fact that despite my hectic life I’m still able to bring these blogs to you is a win.

How about you? What small wins can you celebrate? The more you celebrate, the more life seems like 1 big party!

READ THE LABELS 🏷

Hello friends! Welcome to another day here at Secret2anamazinglife.com! Today we are sharing a very important label. Many of us have taken to reading labels in an effort to maintain or improve our health. This a great idea. Knowing what you are putting into your body can help you improve your health in a major way. As of yet, there are tags for what we are putting into our soul or spirit. The tag above is a good start. Listed are several things that will help you maintain a joyful spirit. I would recommend adding some gratitude and some sort of reflection or meditation to the list.

How about you? What on this tag works the best for you? What would you add to your ‘Good Mood Tag’? I would love to hear your answers below. In the New Year, we should all work together to help each other have more good days. Here at this website we are committed to do our part. We will continue to bring you motivating and uplifting content all year long. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like covered, please let us know. In the meantime, enjoy crafting your good mood!

DON’T FORGET YOUR DREAMS! 😳

Today is Saturday. Most of us are enjoying the start of the weekend. A few of us, like myself, are working. It is good to be a hard-working individual. It shows character and self-discipline. Both very good traits. What we must be careful with is to balance that with our true passions and ambitions. No matter what that job is, one day we will retire. What then? The average person lives less than 20 years after retirement. Men, it is even less for you. Why do we suppose that is? One of the main reasons is a lack of purpose. You do not want to give all of your passion and energy to a company that will replace you a day after you are gone. Think about your legacy, and what lights the inner fire inside you. That is what the world needs more of.

Forgetting your dreams to chase the dollar can have terrible side effects. Increased stress, reduced sense of purpose and fulfillment. How exciting can a life of ‘wake up, pay bills and die’ be? Not very exciting. I’ll cover more ways to go from striving to thriving in my upcoming fourth book. Until then, I want to remind all of us to continue to make our dreams a priority. Even those of us who are finished with the work-a-day world can put our dreams on the back burner. We spend our time with busy work and running errands for others. Perhaps so used to putting our own desires last, that doing anything less has us feeling guilty.

Even someone like myself who works about 60 hours a week, still makes time to pursue their passions. In fact, the words you are reading now include that. The means are not just to justify an end, but to invest in my dream. Pursuing dreams helps us feel alive. It puts light behind our eyes and a spring in our step. How can you invest in your dreams today? Through time? Financial investment? Maybe it is just dusting them off and bringing them back to life. Do not let your salary kill your dreams!

WAKE UP! 😳

We are at the end of the first full week of the new year. How are those goals coming? Have you fallen victim to the millions of distractions in the world? Before you realize it, they can have you sleeping on your goals and dreams! What can you do about that? Don’t worry, we have a simple solution in mind.

When you fall asleep at night, how do manage to get back up and get back at it? You set an alarm! That is precisely what you should do to stick to your goals. I don’t care if it is to eat healthier, exercise more or spend time meditating. This little tip will work for them all.

Pick a time you can rely on. Set an alarm on your phone. If you have the option, add a few words of encouragement or reminder of your goals. Here is the key. Then take at least one action. Eat a healthy meal or snack. Food prep. Do 20 squats or meditate for 5 minutes. If you start making this a daily habit it will increase your chances for success! An easy way to do this is to simply set an alarm to remind you. Just remember to always take an action. It will provide you with momentum and you will be halfway to success!

THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE 🎁

Who doesn’t love giving a great gift? I know I do. Seeing the joy on the face of others when they open a gift you have carefully thought of and selected is a better feeling than any gift you could receive. At least that’s how I feel. I’m sure many of you would agree.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to give a gift like that every time you see someone? To see someone’s face light up with joy everytime the two of you connect? There is such a gift. It does require careful thoughts and actions daily, but as you can see, the rewards are priceless.

The gift we are talking about us becoming the best version of yourself. This may seem counterintuitive, but if you think about it is not. Of course the ultimate beneficiary of self-improvement is… well.. yourself. Still, think of how nice it is to spend time with someone who is at peace, filled with joy and has their life reasonably together.

This is not to say that you should fake being happy all of the time. We all have struggles and sometimes sharing them with a friend helps a great deal and makes our friend feel like the valuable person they are in our life. Showing up with peace in our hearts, an attitude of gratitude and excitement about the future can brighten anyone’s day.

The more you learn about improving your own life, the better you can be of service to those you care about. Learning to be a better listener? Think of who that benefits. How about developing the ability to give genuine and uplifting compliments? You know that will certainly encourage your friends and family. One of the best things I have learned is to stay calm in the face of challenges. You not only inspire others, but can be in a better position to see solutions their panicking mind may not be able to.

This year, let us all work on becoming the best version of ourselves. Not only will we improve, but so will our relationships with those we care about. Just remember that self-improvement is a life-long journey. You can take a daily step right here at secret2anamazinglife.com!

BOUNDARIES FOR THIS YEAR 🌉

This year it is important to set boundaries. It is important to set goals and resolutions to make clear what we are going after. It is just as important to set boundaries to let others know what we will not tolerate. This is not meant to be antagonist, but to teach others how they should treat you.

Setting boundaries can be difficult at first. This is especially true for people you have let trample your boundaries in the past. In the long term it will actually reduce stress in your life. Quite a bit actually! It will also improve the quality of your relationships with others. When they respect you and your boundaries, you will enjoy spending more time with them. In addition, it sets the relationship up for growth that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

Therefore, it would both serve you, and the relationship you share with this person, to make your boundaries clear and to stick by them. Remember, it may be uncomfortable in the short-term, but it will ultimately serve you long-term.

GRAB A NEW PERSPECTIVE!

This picture was taken during a nighttime walk with my mother at a local park. We walk here a lot during the day. Despite my best efforts against it, she will often walk alone at night. This evening, I joined her, and it was truly a much different experience than during the day. We were not able to see as far as we normally were. Things we could make out during the day appeared as black silhouettes.

You may think this would make it a lesser experience. Not so. Our senses of hearing were more developed and we noticed sounds we may miss during the day. The photo above is of the local water tower. During the day it is just a water tower, but at night it looked almost mystical. Something we could only appreciate at night.

This walk was a great reminder to get a shift in perspective on what you normally see. It can help you appreciate things you may miss. We walk this park countless times during the day, but the evening made it an entirely different experience. Have you ever had such an experience?