TIME’S UP! THAT’S IT! PUT DOWN YOUR PENCILS FOR 2021! TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR. THERE MAY BE A MAD DASH TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WE WANTED TO DO THIS YEAR, BUT TIME IS GROWING SHORT.
I SUGGEST ENDING THE YEAR ON A RIGHT NOTE. THINK OF HOW YOU WANT EVERYONE IN YOUR LIFE TO FEEL AS BOTH ONE YEAR ENDS AND ANOTHER BEGINS. MAKE SURE TO TELL THOSE YOU CARE ABOUT THAT… WELL.. YOU CARE ABOUT THEM. I JUST RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM MY DEAREST SOUL FRIEND AND IT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. IT WOULD BE THE BEST IDEA TO MAKE THIS AN ONGOING PRACTICE. NOT JUST FOR THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THE END OF THE MONTH, END OF THE WEEK MAYBE? THE SAD TRUTH IS WE NEVER KNOW WHEN THE END MAY COME AND WE WOULD HATE TO HAVE THE REGRET OF NOT HAVING SAID OR DONE THE RIGHT THING.
NOW LET’S LOOK FORWARD TO THE FUTURE! WHAT IS NEXT? FOR THIS BLOG, WE HAD A BIT OF A DOWN YEAR. ROUGHLY 15,000 VISITORS. THAT WAS DOWN FROM 32,000 LAST YEAR. WE STILL REACHED OVER 150 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING SOME WE HAD NOT REACHED BEFORE. STILL NO GREENLAND, BUT WE WILL GET THERE.
GOING FORWARD OUR FOCUS WILL BE ON ENGAGEMENT. THAT IS WHY, STARTING JANUARY 1ST, EVERY COMMENT ON EITHER THE BLOG, SOCIAL MEDIA POST OR YOUTUBE VIDEO (NEIL PANOSIAN IS THE CHANNEL) WILL GET YOU AN ENTRY FOR AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS. THAT INCLUDES A HAPPY LIFE FOR BUSY PEOPLE, LIVING THE DREAM AND SOON AN UPCOMING BOOK ON MY JOURNEY THROUGH OPEN HEART SURGERY.
SPEAKING OF VIDEOS, WE WILL HAVE ONE A WEEK IN THE COMING YEAR. THAT’S RIGHT, 52 NEW VIDEOS! THEY WILL BE SHARED IN THIS BLOG, BUT IF YOU WANT TO GET THEM EARLIER, GO TO THE CHANNEL AND SUBSCRIBE. (AGAIN, THAT IS NEIL PANOSIAN) I LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH YOU ALL A LOT MORE IN 2022! STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!!😀
WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE QUESTION I AM MOST OFTEN ASKED IS, “HOW DO YOU DO IT?” THIS CAN BE IN REFERENCE TO MAINTAINING A POSITIVE OUTLOOK, BEING ABLE TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES, HAVING A RELATIONSHIP THAT IS AMAZING AND ALWAYS GETTING BETTER OR A HOST OF OTHER THINGS.
THE ANSWER IS NOT A SECRET OR A SIMPLE HACK. IT IS WORK. NOW, I’VE DEVELOPED PROCESSES THAT ARE BOTH ENJOYABLE AND REQUIRE VERY LITTLE EFFORT, BUT THEY STILL REQUIRE YOU TO TAKE SOME ACTION. WHY WOULDN’T YOU? IT IS YOUR LIFE WE AT TAKING ABOUT HERE! A FEW SIMPLE TWEAKS TO YOUR EVERYDAY CAN HAVE HUGE IMPACTS ON THE OUTCOME OF YOUR LIFE.
THERE ARE LOTS OF FUN SECRETS YOU CAN EMPLOY TO TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE INTO ONE OF YOUR DREAMS AND THEY CAN ALL BE FOUND IN MY BOOKS, A HAPPY LIFE FOR BUSY PEOPLE, AND LIVING THE DREAM. A LINK TO THEM WILL BE AT THE END OF THIS POST. I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT I THINK IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS I PERSONALLY USE IN THIS POST. I USE IT WHILE WORKING OUT, AT WORK ON OCCASION, IN THE CAR ON THE WAY TO WORK OR THE GROCERY STORE FOR THAT MATTER. I USE THIS TOOL WHEREVER I CAN FIT IT IN.
HERE IT IS – I LISTEN TO SOMETHING THAT WILL EITHER TEACH, MOTIVATE OR INSPIRE ME. I DO THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY. IT HAS CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE. I HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO LEARN AND GROW THANKS TO AUDIO BOOKS. IT KEEPS MY MOOD AND VIBRATION HIGH ON DAYS WHEN I NEED A BOOST.
SOME PEOPLE TELL ME THEY DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS. LISTEN, EVERYONE HAS TIME. I HAVE 7 DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS IN INVOLVED IN. I STILL FIND TIME. IT IS USING WHAT TONY ROBBINS CALLS N.E.T. TIME MEANING “NO EXTRA TIME” YOU DO IT WHEN YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE. POP EARBUDS IN WHILE DOING DISHES. HAVE AN AUDIO BOOK IN THE CAR FOR YOUR TRIPS TO AND FROM WORK.
EVEN DOING THIS 5 DAYS A WEEK WILL CREATE A BIG CHANGE. ALL IT REQUIRES IS TO JUST PUSH PLAY. WHAT WE PUT IN OUR MIND IS WHAT MANIFESTS IN OUR LIFE. START FILLING IT WITH GREAT STUFF!
WHAT A GREAT QUOTE FROM MITCH ALBOM, ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS. AS 2021 DRAWS TO A CLOSE WE ARE ALL EXCITED FOR THE NEW YEAR AND ALL THE POSSIBILITIES IT BRINGS. AS WELL WE SHOULD. NOBODY IS SAYING, “IT IS SO SAD THE OLD YEAR IS ENDING.”
I AM WONDERING, WHY DO WE NOT DO THE SAME IN OTHER AREAS OF OUR LIVES. SURE, SOME ARE FAR MORE DIFFICULT, BUT THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT WE STILL HAVE THE OPTION ON WHERE WE PLACE OUR FOCUS. WE CAN MOURN THE END, OR GET EXCITED FOR WHAT IS NEXT. WE CAN FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE LOST, OR WHAT WE COULD POSSIBLY GAIN IN THE FUTURE.
MANY OF YOU WILL SAY THIS STILL DOES NOT CHANGE THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION. IN SOME WAYS, THIS IS CORRECT. IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT SOMETHING ENDED AND SOMETHING IS BEGINNING. WHAT IT DOES CHANGE IS HOW WE FEEL ABOUT IT, HOW WE FEEL ABOUT OURSELVES AND HOW WE FEEL ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL. I WOULD ARGUE IMPROVING OUR FEELINGS ON ALL OF THOSE CATEGORIES WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO IMPROVING THE FACTS OF THE FUTURE.
THIS COMING YEAR, LET US ALL BE MORE RESOLUTE IN FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVE POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE, THAN THE NEGATIVE OR LOSS OF THE PAST AND POSSIBLY THE PRESENT.
WE ARE IN THE LAST WEEK OF THE LAST MONTH OF THE YEAR! CAN YOU BELIEVE HOW TIME FLIES? THIS WILL BE THE LAST TUESDAY OF 2021. WHILE SOME OF US ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW YEAR AND NEW POSSIBILITIES, THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE FACT THAT WE WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER TUESDAY IN 2021 AGAIN, IT SOUNDS RATHER FINAL. MY SUGGESTION IS TO SQUEEZE EVERY LAST DROP OF LOVE, JOY AND HAPPINESS OUT OF IT. HOW? BY BEING PRESENT.
THIS MORNING I WAS DRIVING BY MYSELF TO WORK WHEN I HAD ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WE ALL HAVE. I LOOKED AROUND TO DISCOVER I WAS ALMOST HALFWAY THERE! I SERIOUSLY WONDERED WHO DROVE THE FIRST HALF! DID I MENTION I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR?
WE SO OFTEN GET LOST IN OUR THOUGHTS OR OTHER DISTRACTIONS THAT WE MISS THE JOY OF LIFE AROUND US. WE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO THAT DAY, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE TROUBLING US, OR EVEN WHAT WE ARE HAVING FOR DINNER. IN MY CASE, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT IN 2 WEEKS I’LL BE UNDERGOING OPEN-HEART SURGERY. THE CRAZY PART IS THAT ALL OF THIS OVER-THINKING AND WORRY GETS US NOWHERE.
BEFORE WE KNOW IT, OUR LIFE, MUCH LIKE THE FIRST HALF OF MY COMMUTE, WILL HAVE PASSED US BY UNNOTICED AND UNAPPRECIATED. STARTING TODAY, LET US ENJOY THE LAST WEEK OF THE YEAR TO THE FULLEST. LET US BE TOTALLY PRESENT IN OUR LIVES. WHETHER THAT BE ENJOYING A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE WITH ALL OF OUR SENSES, LISTENING INTENSELY TO OUR PARTNER AND FRIENDS OR SIMPLY NOTICING THE BEAUTY ON OUR MORNING COMMUTE. DO NOT LET THIS WEEK, OR ANY OF YOUR LIFE, PASS BY WITHOUT BEING PRESENT IN IT.
THE WEEK BETWEEN CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS IS ONE GENERALY FILLED WITH LOTS OF EXHALING AND RELAXATION. DESERVEDLY SO. THE SHOPPING IS DONE. THE CRAZINESS OF THE HOLIDAYS IS WINDING DOWN. TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK, SOME PEOPLE BEGIN TO CONTEMPLATE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. YOU KNOW, THOSE LOFTY GOALS WE ASPIRE TO IN THE COMING YEAR.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ARE VERY GOOD IN AND OF THEMSELVES. IT IS ALWAYS ADMIRABLE TO THINK OF WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN IMPROVE OURSELVES AND OUR LIVES. THE PROBLEM IS MOST OF US JUST WAIT UNTIL A FEW DAYS BEFORE AND CHOOSE SOME RANDOM OR MAYBE EVEN INTENSE GOAL. WE DON’T SPEND MUCH TIME AND THE PLANNING AND THEN ARE SURPRISED WHEN WE HAVE FAILED ALL OF OUR RESOLUTIONS BY FEBRUARY 1ST, IF NOT BEFORE.
THIS YEAR, LET’S DO IT DIFFERENT. SPEND THIS WEEK THINKING OF THE AREAS WE WISH TO IMPROVE IN THE COMING YEAR. DEVELOP NOT ONLY A PLAN FOR HOW TO DO IT, BUT WHAT TO DO IF WE FEEL OURSELVES AND OUR MOTIVATION SLIPPING. ONE OF THE BEST WAYS IS TO COME UP WITH A STRONG ‘WHY’. THE REASON BEHIND WHAT WE WISH TO ACCOMPLISH. LET US WRITE DOWN BOTH WHAT WE STAND TO GAIN BY ACCOMPLISHING IT AS WELL AS WHAT WE STAND TO LOSE IF WE DON’T.
Today is Wednesday. Some people view this as “hump day”. They view it as just something to get past to make it to the weekend. I like to view as a time to check in with myself. Make sure that I am making the best use of the week. If I discover that I’m not, then I make adjustments.
A quick example is the post we had on Monday. We were to write 3 words on an index card – enjoy, appreciate and cherish. Am I asking myself what I am enjoying, appreciating and cherishing? If not, time to refocus and recommit. If we are, can we up our game? Can we ask ourselves one more time during the day? Can we add another word such as grateful?
Use Wednesday to check our progress for the week and make adjustments. Let us set ourselves up to finish the week strong!
In my corner of the world, today marks the first day of winter. Temperatures are below freezing, there is the least amount of sunlight. Things that are really not conducive to a smiley, happy type outlook. I am not the biggest fan of winter. Things at dying all around me. I go to work when it is dark and when I leave work it is dark.
This year, however, I am working to change my outlook. Winter presents one of the biggest challenges for me. I suffer from a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. It is where the lack of sunshine messes up your hormones and brain chemicals. This leads to things like fatigue, irritability and depression. These are not good qualities if you are a motivational author, speaker and blog writer.
Today not only marks the first day of winter, but three weeks to the day until I have open heart surgery. To be technical, for a small amount of time, I will be deceased during this procedure. That is to say, my heart will stop beating. God willing, after said time I will wake up again and begin to heal to be better than ever. It reminds me of winter turning into spring. Things die and then they are reborn.
So, I have decided, and I encourage you to do the same, to ‘put to death’ certain things in your life. Are there any negative habits you would like to rid yourself of? Toxic relationships you know you should really distance yourself from? Use this day, the first day of winter, the shortest day of the year, to kill off what doesn’t serve you in your own life. It will be a struggle, much like winter can be for me, but by spring we can be reborn with a healthy, more positive and rewarding life!
Inspiration for my writing can come from anywhere at any time. Recently, it came from a story about a bottle of water. That’s right, a bottle of water. What can a simple bottle of water teach us about life and how to live it better? You would be surprised. Let us look at the story that inspired this post and then discuss how to apply it a little bit after.
A bottle of water in the supermarket is worth about $.50. That same bottle at a bar costs around $2. In a good restaurant or hotel it can be worth about $3. If you were at a concert, outdoor festival or airport you could pay up to $5! The bottle and brand is the same, the only thing that changes is the place. Each place gives a different value to the same product.
What does the fact that they charge you way to much for bottles of water at concerts and at the airport teach us about life? It teaches us that worth is not a fixed value. This is more important when it comes to ourselves than purified water in a plastic bottle. If you have a lot of moments of feeling worthless and have people around you who belittle you, it may very well be time to change places! Just like our bottle of water, do not stay where you are viewed at $.50, find that airport or outdoor concert. You are a $5.00 bottle of water. Find that place where you are valued. Seek out those smart and astute individuals who see the brilliant gifts you bring to the table.
I suggest keeping a bottle of water nearby to remind you of this principle. If you hear from someone who does not see your value, take a sip and remind yourself that you are a $5.00 bottle of water! Plus, staying hydrated is always a healthy thing to do! Share your world with those who find you refreshing.
Daily we are greeted with messages of division. Some days they seem to be downright violent in their nature. It is messages of extremes delivered by one side or another. It gives us three very false impressions. The first is that you have to choose “One side or the other” You can’t be a little of this, or a little of that. With just a few seconds of logical thought, we can realize this is not true. In today’s world, which thanks to technology is growing more mixed and smaller than ever, people are a mix of a whole bunch of different things.
That brings us to the second false claim these stories and groups are putting out there. That most people belong to one of these “2 sides”. It is if people are made to feel guilty for having feelings that can understand and see and issue from both points of view. Here is a news flash for some of you – you can agree with parts of one side of and issue and parts of another side. In fact, if you do, that is a sign of open-mindedness and critical thinking. Seldom, if ever, is an issue black and white. Despite what you hear, you do not have to be on one side of an issue or another. You can choose the space in between and not only understand, but give respect to both sides.
That brings us to the last bit of misinformation those in certain circles would like us to believe – that if you disagree with someone you have to hate them or at the very least view them as if they were the enemy. This is not only obviously untrue, but ask yourself what we stand to gain by thinking this way. By making enemies of those who could have been friends with just a little bit of compassion and understanding. Ask yourself another important question, who stands to benefit by us being divided and working against each other? It brings more stress into our lives and reduces the amount of people we can share with. So, who does benefit from us being divided?
From now on I challenge you to stop being a sheep and believing that we must remain divided. We are far more powerful when we work together. How can we accomplish this? I will give you a few examples and I would love to hear more from you. In something as simple as sports we can try this. If you meet up with friends who cheer for a different team than you do (yes this is actually allowed in life) If your team wins, be gracious enough to say “Your team played a good game.” Maybe even mention a few things that they did well and wish them better luck next time. This works a lot better than mocking them and gloating about how good your team is. If your team loses, remember it is just a game. Congratulate them on their teams victory. In that contest, they were obviously the better team. Keep in mind this is just a game. It should be a chance to gather together and not say mean or hurtful things. Once again, nobody wins in that scenario.
Politics is an area that people are really getting after each other lately. To me, this is one of the most foolish. Do you know who benefits when we label each other as “Crazy” or “Evil” because our politics differ? Those politicians that seek to push their agendas by dividing us. The problem is not that neighbor Bill voted for someone different than you and has a different view of the world. The problem is that instead of seeking a middle ground and a solution that will benefit all people, we are told we have to be divided and only one side can win. When we do this we lose. We lose friends, we lose a good amount of peace and joy in our lives. We may even have families torn apart. As a parent or teacher we would never tell children that they should call the other kids they disagree with nasty names, but that is exactly what grown adults in the political arena are doing. What do we teach children? That is ok to be different and that we all have to find ways to play nice together, This is a message that we should deliver to those in power.
Lastly, there is religion and faith. This is so important in the lives of many. Our faith can be what gets us through the toughest times. Yet, just like politicians, certain religious leaders would prefer we view those who differ in their form of worship as “The enemy” or “Sinners”. Turning people we love, or those that we see do a lot of compassionate and loving things for the world as ‘the bad guys’. In mind mind, this is nothing short of stupid. When I hear of someone who enjoys a ritual that is different than what I may do, this is what I say. “Oh, that’s cool.” It doesn’t mean my beliefs are wrong or that theirs are better or worse than mine. It is just that they have found a different way to deepen their faith which will ultimately make them a better person.
Don’t be a sheep and follow what certain members of the media and those in power are telling you. We do not have to be divided. Those who are different than us can still be right and so can we. Be a lion. Show what love and compassion can do. Show what working together we can make the world a far better place than working against each other. Realize that in your own life, love and compassion for those who differ than you can bring you more peace and less stress. Awaken the lion within you.
See the great conversation I had with Carole Meekins regarding my second book. We discussed some possible ways of handling the stress of the holiday season and teased a little bit about my upcoming third book. Carole is always such a joy to work with. The interview is roughly 13 minutes long, but there is a lot of good content. There is also a special guest appearance by Margie’s cat, Raven.
Carole hosts these ‘lunches’ every Wednesday and are certainly worth checking out. I would love to hear your feedback on the episode which can be found in the link at the end of this post. Feel free to share your plans for self-care coming into the new year.
