Tag: Self-Help

TAKE A BREAK FROM IT ALL!😃

One of the best ways to improve any situation is to improve your mindset in regards to it. We seldom have control over outside variables, and waiting for them to change will only add to the frustration we have with the situation we are involved in. What we do have complete control over is our mindset. If that seems down, we can change it. It sounds cliché, but we hear viewing something as a teaching moment verses a failure can help us so much. All of this may sound easier said than done, but there is a way we can begin to change our mindset.

Last post we spoke about taking Monday off to make us find it less offensive. This doesn’t have to be limited to Monday. Kids getting on your nerves and you find yourself snapping at them when you shouldn’t? It may be time to call a sitter and spend an afternoon at the spa. Your spouse working on your last nerve? Maybe a shopping trip with the girls, or a fishing trip with the guys will refresh your outlook. I am not advocating running away from your problems. If there is something that needs addressing, by all means do so. Sometimes, however, all we need is a little time to catch our breath and revive our outlook.

It amuses me how many people talk themselves out of being able to do these things. “I can’t get a sitter unless I really need one.” I think if it improves the relationship with your children, then some ‘me time’ might be something you need. “My spouse will be unhappy if I go shopping/fishing.” They might be, but if it means you come back with more love and patience for them, and it improves your relationship in the long run, I think they will be happy with that. Especially if you state it like this, “My love, I feel like I am not able to give my best to you and this relationship and a little time away would help me do that.” Who could argue with a statement such as that? Do not say this if it is not genuine. If you are having relationship burnout, which happens in the best couples, it is important to address it before it leads to even greater problems.

It may help to view these breaks as what they are – investments. Taking a break is like a strategic retreat. It will allow you to regroup and meet life head on in a far more productive manner. If you find any part of your life overwhelming, run away from it…for a while. Take a break. Take some ‘me time’. Regroup and come back stronger than ever. Invest in yourself.

SOMETIMES YOU NEED A SIGN

This could be your sign

This week, and next, I will be spending at our local state fair. It is an event that not only brings me great joy, but has a lot of great memories attached to it. I can still recall sitting at a certain food stand with my grandfather when I was just 7 years old.

Wandering around the grounds with my mother, we happened across this sign. I remarked how each of the sayings were good reminders. My mom promptly added “you should write a blog about it”

Here we are, and I am! Here is what I like about signs like this. They take a lot of the work out of staying inspired and motivated. Having visual, or written reminders, around to place inspiring thoughts in your head means you do not have to remember them on your own!

It doesn’t even have to be a sign like this. It can be an inspiring work of art. It could be one of those great workout posters. My favorite is a motivational day-by-day calendar. Either way, having things like this can make living an amazing life less of a mental stress!

IT IS IMPORTANT TO TRY NEW THINGS!

Spending the week at our local state fair, there are many new culinary creations to try. Believe it or not, this is one I tried last night. It is a sausage made with gummy bears on the inside, then garnished with honey mustard and gummy bears on some sort of flavored bun.

This is not an item for the faint of heart. Nor for the faint of stomach I might add. The only other person brave enough to try it was my lovely Margie. By try it, I mean she had one bite and said “Oh no. Not for me.” Still, you have to try crazy things in life on occasion. It keeps you young. Another fun fact, the ladies serving these delightful morsels were all wearing gummy bear earrings!

FROM EVERY ANGLE ðŸ¤”

So many times in our lives we can become overwhelmed. A good many of these times is our perception. Inky Johnson, one of my favorite speakers, always says “perspective drives performance” meaning, how we look at things can determine how we act.

We must be careful not to fall in two categories. First, is those who busy themselves with trying to know everything there is and paralyze themselves into inaction. There is a time when you have to go for it!

On the other side of the spectrum, is those who fly into action, or make judgments without having enough information. In order to properly make a decision and come to a conclusion, we must do our best to look at life from as many angles as possible. Hear both sides of the story. Often we find possibilities we never thought of or saw! Today try looking at things from a different angle!

HEY IT IS MONDAY🤪

It is Monday. This is always a day where many of us struggle. The truth is, it is the beginning of the race. No race is ever lost at the beginning! This is your chance to work hard and set yourself up for the win!

One way to think of Monday is the harder you run at the beginning of the race, the sooner you are to cross the finish line. Earning your weekend starts on Monday. Let us all get after it!

THRIVE THURSDAY 😀

Have you ever thought about how often we think about building our future? When we are young it is almost all we think about. People are constantly asking us, “what are you going to be when you grow up?” Sometimes we even ask ourselves that question. Children can often be heard saying “I can’t wait until I’m 18 and can make my own decisions and live my own life!”

Then what happens? We do grow up. We can make our own decisions and live our own life. Sadly, we often forget, or take for granted, that we have this power. Our thoughts, which when we were young were almost always about building our future, have become almost entirely about surviving our present. How to pay the bills. How to get the kids on school today.

Today let us change that up. Whether you are 18 or 80, you have a future. Devote at least one day a week (Thursday thrive?) To building your life and not just surviving it. Learn something new. Invest in improving yourself. Think, and put into action, things that can improve your relationships.

Let us go back to when we were young. Let us decide again what we want to be when we grow up. That doesn’t have to start when you are 18, and it never has to stop.

FOR YOUR TUESDAY ðŸ™‚

A little bright and positive motivation for your Tuesday. What are you doing to keep your mood up and keep moving forward?

I’M DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF. WHY THAT’S GOOD.

Above is the results for a 5K race that I ran last Wednesday. I run this race every year. It is held at the Wisconsin State Fair park. This is one of my favorite places to go. This year, I had open-heart surgery in January. My goal was to come back and finish the race in 30 minutes or less. As you can see, I fell short by 7 minutes. I was disappointed to learn this. My cardiovascular and breathing were just not up to the task. I vented to those that did the race with me. I figured 6 months after surgery would have been enough to get back in shape. I was reminded for the first 4 months after surgery, you are advised to do little, if anything at all. This means that I really only had 2 months to train for this race.

Although this made me feel slightly better, I am still a little disappointed I did not make me goal. Normally, I am the fellow who advises you to find and focus on the positives in a situation. This is true here too. After having my chest sawed in half and a chunk of my heart cut out and replaced (and dying for a brief period of time) I still finished with the same time I did the year prior. It was only 6 months after surgery, and I was told it will take a full year to be back at 100%. Still, I want to keep this feeling of disappointment with me. Why on earth would I want to do that? I want to do what I advise everyone to do in my book Living the Dream. Find a way to use your emotions instead of letting them use you.

In this case, on the days I do not feel like going to the gym, I am going to remember that feeling of disappointment. When I do not feel like eating better, I am going to remember how it felt to struggle as I ran. These feelings will not only serve to keep me on track, but will push me to better myself. That is how to put negative feelings to work for you. Is there something you are disappointed in yourself for? Did you yell at your spouse when they didn’t deserve it? Use that to push you to get a better control of your temper and to find ways to make it up to yourself. Disappointed you didn’t get what you wanted done at home? Use that feeling to get you up and out of bed the next day to tackle the activity you want to accomplish.

So called negative emotions will always be a part of our lives. As we work to limit them, we should also find ways to put them to use for us as well. In that way we turn what used to be a negative into a positive. What are some ways in which you have done this in your own life?

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Many times, changing the way we view certain things can benefit us greatly. I have often spoke about viewing your life as a business and the benefits that can have. I think this picture above, comparing your brain to a computer, can be very helpful as well. Most of us are guilty of treating our computers better than our brains at times. If you find it hard to find the motivation to read and educate yourself, just think of it as updating your software. This even sounds fun. Imagine telling your friend, “Sorry Bob, I would like to hang out tonight but I am updating my software.” Bob may think you’re crazy, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is a good way to look at filling your mind with healthy and positive material.

How about the discipline to go to bed at a decent hour? You are not getting some sleep, you are recharging the batteries of your super computer brain! Would you run your computer, your phone or your car until it ceases to work, or would you allow time to rest and recharge? What if it was the only phone, computer or car you could ever have in your lifetime? We only get one mind and body, but all to often, we treat these with less care than disposable devices which we can replace.

Cleaning your computer’s hard drive will allow it to run with greater speed and efficiency. The same can be said about the super computer brain you have. How do we clean the hard drive of our minds? Above are three great ideas. Meditate, journal and positive self-talk. Clear out some of the stress and emotion. I also recommend working out and walking in nature.

If you think your super computer brain needs a reboot, try engaging in some of the activities listed above. Viewing our brains as super computers, which they are, can help us evaluate and provide better care for the most important equipment we have. That is the equipment between our own two ears.

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY!🌞

Today is the first day of summer where I live. To me, it is one of the best days of the year. I was born in the summer, I love the sunshine and I can never have enough summer fun. Thus, the official start of the season is greeted with great joy and enthusiasm. I am sure the same is true for those of you who enjoy fall or spring. I can’t really wrap my head around those of you who feel this way about winter, but the same must hold true there as well. Another thing that makes this day so special is that where I live summer is very short and fleeting. It makes the season we do have that much more special.

I do my best to enjoy as many wonderful events during this season as I can. As you read this, I will be attending an exciting bike race taking place just blocks from where I live. There will be a street party and many other fun things to do. I will also be enjoying the sunshine and the company of the woman I love. Finding new and exciting ways to celebrate the season I love is a fun adventure. I will do the same, with the help from my lady, for my birthday. We are also planning to take our first vacation in several years.

Both celebrating and planning fun things to do only serves to extend the joy of the actual event itself. Looking at videos of different resorts will certainly put us in an excited state. Perhaps planning a tour or two? Maybe even just planning where will we eat dinner on what night can be exciting. Looking at all the fun places to explore and learn about. This is all before the plane touches down on the runway. Same is true for my thoughts of summer. Margie and I were talking about more picnics and bike rides this year. My mother and I were talking about exploring new parks and woods to hike in. This is all before the season of summer has actually begun. Getting excited for these events will make them more enjoyable, and thought out, when they actually happen.

What events or times of year do you look forward to? How do you celebrate? Remember there is always something to celebrate and be grateful for!