Tag: Motivation

SEPARATE YOURSELF 💪

This picture says a lot. In today’s world, everyone is looking for a quick fix. The latest trend is weight loss injections. No doubt there is some benefit for those whose weight is causing a health emergency, but that is not who seems to be the majority of who is taking it. As a society we are looking for a quick fix. Nobody wants to spend months adjusting their behavior and eating style. Why would you when there is a shot you can take that will do it for you? There are several very important reasons. Let us take a look at a few.

One of the main reasons is the complications these medications can create. There are now stories of individuals suing the makers of these drugs because they will no longer be able to eat regular food, as in the rest of their life. I am sure these cases of negative reactions are far and few between, but that is too much of a risk for me to take. Another reason is what you fail to gain by taking the ‘easy way out’. It takes discipline, control over our own urges and emotions to change our diet and lifestyle. Gaining control over our minds when it comes to eating healthy and being consistent in our workouts will transfer positively into the rest of our lives. You could be more disciplined at work. You could control your emotions in your relationship. These benefits would serve you well.

Lastly, there is the feeling of accomplishment. Engaging in the above discipline will give us something to be proud of. The inner health we accomplish through the discipline of fitness on a consistent level is something to be proud of. Where as taking an injection has both risks, and little in return of health and feelings of accomplishment.

In any endeavor, there is the easy way to get ahead and there is the right way. Very rarely are these two things the same. You could see some benefits when it comes to taking the easy way, but that is usually in the short term and at a cost. Doing things the right way may seem more difficult and take much longer, but what you gain and who you become is what makes all the difference.

6 ENERGY DRAINERS

As we prepare for the week ahead, let us be on the lookout for these energy draining activities. Knowing what to look for, and what to avoid, we assure that we have enough energy to make it through the week.

BEFORE IT EXPIRES! 😳

The other night I had a heartbreaking experience I am sure many of you have had. Reaching into my pocket, I found a rather good coupon. $10 off it said. It happened to be on a product I use, and was in current need of. While I was at the store, I placed the item in the cart and proceeded to the checkout. With the price of everything going up, I was happy to be saving that amount of money.

As the cashier scanned my items, I handed her the coupon. She scanned it and then looked up at me with a kind of look that was a mixture of shock and disappointment. “This coupon expired.” she stated. After a dramatic pause, she added “It expired last year.” Apparently I need to check my pockets more often. This valuable ten dollar offer was now just a useless piece of paper. Embarrassed, I just paid and left.

I thought about how many times Margie and I have scrambled to use coupons before they expire. Occasionally, even stocking up on an item just to take advantage of the money saving. Then I came across this quote and pondered how many of us realize our life, much like our coupons, have an expiration date. The tricky bit? We never know when that is.

We scramble to save a dollar off a gallon of milk, but do we work as hard to make the most of our life before it expires? If you had a date stamped on your backside that send when you expired, how long would you wait to start making the most of your life? Would you wait until the date was almost upon you to start acting? Would you start now and take the most advantage of it?

What is tragic is that far too many of us find ourselves in the situation that I did in the grocery store. We wanted to put our life to good use, but now it is expired. I have known many people who had great plans and ambitions, but never realized them before their expiration date. Les Brown says the richest place in the world is the grave yard. There you will find books never written, albums never recorded, love never expressed, and dreams never realized.

Don’t let your expiration date catch you by surprise. Make the most of your life today! Write that book, record that album, tell that special person you love them. Most of all, whatever it is, chase the dream. There are only so many more tomorrows.

IT IS LOVE, NOT AN ATTACK.

Recently, I hired a personal trainer. I have been going to the gym three times a week for years now. Getting another person’s, and a professional, guidance seemed like a good thing to throw in the mix. Between her knowledge of the fitness realm mixed with my knowledge of my body, we can get a lot accomplished. That is, if I am willing to work with her. Some of the things she has me do makes my muscles sore and certainly works muscles I may not use as often as I should. Although there is occasional cursing under the breath, it is not directed at her. After all, what she is having me do will make me a leaner and stronger person in the end.

This seems pretty obvious when it involves a personal trainer. The tricky part is when it also comes from those we love giving us constructive criticism. When we hear anything about us that is not pleasant, our first thought is often to rebel against it. This could include countering the point the person has made, or maybe even coming up with a return criticism of our own. In doing so, we miss the gift this could offer us. An outside view of an area of our person that may be lacking in some fashion.

When we are pushed to improve, it can not only be an act of love, but a demonstration of belief. It is showing that the other party believes that we can be better than what we truly are. It is true that this can still be difficult. This is especially true when the other party is not very skilled at delivering this pushing of us to get better. What will make us great is being able to take that criticism, no matter how it is delivered, and act instead of reacting. Thanking someone for pushing us to become greater despite how uncomfortable it makes us feel, is a secret to an amazing life.

NOW OR MOST? 🤔

Today is Monday and there is a brand new week ahead of us! It is not only full of opportunities, but it is full of decisions as well. One of the greatest decisions we make daily, if not hourly, is the decision on what to focus on. Are we focused on our immediate pleasures? What feels good in the moment. Those doughnuts in the breakroom sure look tasty and they are there for the taking. Almost an insult to whoever brought them in if we don’t eat them.

Another path is to be focused on where we want to go and who we want to become. Then the thought of eating one of those delicious doughnuts becomes an insult to both our bodies and our goals and aspirations. It is not often as easy, or black and white, as the doughnut example. Sometimes it is whether or not to participate in that office gossip. Whether we continue to work when nobody is watching or do we scroll online for a little while. Even what we choose to focus our thoughts on. Do we dwell on what is going wrong in our lives, or are we grateful for what we have?

This battle between what we want now and what we want most is a battle that never ends. This may sound tiring and defeating, but it also means we have endless opportunities to win. Every decision we make that overcomes our desire for immediate pleasure for the good of who we wish to become or accomplish in the long term should be viewed as a victory. Which are you choosing at the moment?

MAKE SURE TO MAKE TIME ⏲️

One of my favorite quotes. It can feel impossible to make time for ourselves in this busy world. It is not only a great idea, but a necessity. I equate it to never getting the oil changed in your car because you do not have the time. What happens? Eventually, your car will break down. Not only will you be forced to spend the time it takes to repair everything that will have went wrong, but it will be far more expensive than had you just spent the time and money on an oil change.

Our bodies are much the same. If we do not take the time to indulge in self-care, our bodies, mind and spirit may collapse. Then we will not only need time for self-care, but perhaps some therapy or time for healing. It will end up being a more expensive endeavor from a time, and perhaps money, standpoint. It would be a far more intelligent investment upfront. Same with our physical health. If we do not spend time on eating healthy and fitness, we will need to spend time of sickness and disease when our body breaks down. Think of that next time you want a twinkie or skip a workout.

Let us make time for wellness, so we will not be forced to make time for illness. One additional added bonus is that we get to choose the time we spend on wellness. When sickness comes up, it is usually not at a time that is convenient for us or our life. How can you take some time for wellness in your life today?

FOR ME, LIFE IS TOO SHORT

Maybe it was the whole dying and coming back to life thing? Perhaps it is my deep desire to learn about people. It could be my goal of discovering and reminding people of the beauty within them. Whatever the reason, I learned I’m not very good at casual conversation. Anyone who has spent time with me socially can attest to that.

In life there is time for “nice weather we are having. ” type conversations. I just urge you to not be uncomfortable when someone dives deeper. In fact, take advantage of it. Foster those connections. Deepen that relationship. Life is fleeting. Let us all get comfortable with sharing our inner selves.

CHOOSE YOUR HARD 👷‍♀️

Many people complain about the time or effort it takes to improve themselves. As Earl Nightingale said, “the time will pass anyway. ” we should look to find ourselves better at the end of each day. As for effort, it requires sacrifice both to improve and not. As you can see by the examples above. Quite often, the result for not improving is much harder in the long run!

Today, if the thought of improving yourself seems too difficult, remember that there will be sacrifice either way. Cleaning your house is difficult. Having a dirty house and dealing with roaches and rats is far more difficult. Exercising can feel difficult. Having sickness,disease and a broken down body is far more difficult.

Let us take the advice of Earl Nightingale. The time will pass anyway. The question is, where will you be at the end of it?

SUCCEED NO MATTER WHAT! 🥇

Here is how to succeed no matter what the situation. Have you ever heard something like this? “My dad was an alcoholic, that is why I became one.” At the same time, have you also heard this? “My dad was an alcoholic. That is why I will never touch the stuff!” That is the negative side of things. It works the same on the flip side. There are people who succeed because they grew up in a wealthy family and learned all the important financial lessons. There are those who grew up in a wealthy family and ended up in rehab or worse because they never learned responsibility.

When you find yourself in a positive situation it can be pretty easy to learn from. Take our friend who grew up in a financially well-to-do family. He could learn how his parents managed money. He could learn investment strategies. He could learn the value of hard work. He could see the example of the power of money to provide personal freedom as well as to help others. There would be many fine examples to learn from.

What about our friend with the alcoholic father? He could learn a lot of valuable lessons as well. He could see the negative results of alcohol on both the health and relationships of his father. He could see the financial strain it can put families under. He can see the undesirable people and situations that addictions can put us in contact with. There are many lessons in struggles. He could use these as motivation to not turn out as his father did.

We are not pretending life is so black and white. Any life is seldom just a warning or an example. We can use any situation for good or for bad. The choice is ours. If we choose, and are committed to using everything to serve us, than it doesn’t matter whether that situation or person is positive or negative. We can use it to learn and to grow and move ourselves forward. That is the secret to an amazing life.

HURT OR LESSON, WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS?

Talk about simple yet profound! This is really a secret to an amazing life. In life we will all experience hurt. There is no way around it. No matter how dedicated to living an amazing life we are, sometimes things just won’t go our way. What then? It is then that we approach a figurative ‘fork in the road’. We have a choice in front of us. One way will not only prohibit our self-improvement, it will actually lead to our decline. It will keep us stagnant. In a world that is moving and changing so quickly, being stagnant will mean being left behind. It will also add considerable mental, emotional and physical stress. Stress in all three areas, who would want that?

The other path in the fork in the road can lead us to a far different result. It can propel our growth in a far more rapid manner than before the hurt. It can not only not add any additional stress, it can transform the initial stress of the hurt into gratitude. This reduction in stress will lead to a greater sense of inner peace, a stronger immune system and better relationships. The rapid growth will lead to a feeling of accomplishment and a better relationship…with ourselves! Less stress, more joy and growth? Better relationships? Who wouldn’t want all of that.

In case it is not obvious. One path is focusing on the hurt, the other is finding the lesson. When we find the lesson in the hurt, we transform something that brought us down into something that can propel us forward. This is huge. Anytime you can take a negative and turn it into a positive, you win. This is one of those ways. You will reduce your stress and increase your feeling of accomplishment. I cannot count the times when I say to myself, or out loud, “That sucked, but it helped me become the person I am today.”

Today take the challenges of life and mine them for the lessons. The payoff will be nothing short of priceless. Instead of being stuck in the quagmire of hurt and sadness, you will be using them as stepping stones to move yourself, and your life forward!