Tag: self improvement

MIRACLES ARE EVERYWHERE!😃

A few posts ago we looked at a quote from Albert Einstein. It highlighted the choice between living life as though nothing was a miracle, or living life as though everything was a miracle. Can you really live life as though everything was a miracle? You can and it can be easier than you think!

I believe there are two keys to living your life as though everything was a miracle. The first is to begin to look for them. There are two examples in the pictures above. The first is how the scoop came out of my protein powder. I was on the way to the gym and not really feeling my workout and there appears a smiley face on my scoop from my protein powder! The second was a majestic sunrise on my way to work. Seldom am I feeling it on the way to work. Seeing this wonderful example of natures beauty does give a lift to the spirit!

The second key to living life as though everything was a miracle is to ask yourself “what is the miracle in this?” Again, we get an example of some majestic natural beauty. That would be the love of my life, Margie. When I think of our love and ask myself, “What is the miracle in our love?” There are many answers to choose from. It is a miracle that we found each other. It is a miracle that we made it through many difficult challenges early on before our love even had a chance to grow. It seems like a miracle how we find new ways to make our love grow. Imagine how your view of your relationship might change if you asked yourself, “What is the miracle in my relationship?”

Try doing those two things this month. Look for the Miracles around you. Then pick situations and ask yourself “What is the miracle in this?” You will be surprised how that will change your view of your relationship, your job, and even your time in line at the grocery store. Walking through the park, I saw the miracle of life with this baby duck and its mother. You can live life as though everything was a miracle by doing these two things. Soon you will discover that, indeed, everything is a miracle.

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY! 🤫

This is something most of us, myself included, do without even thinking about it. We speak to ourselves negatively. You call a female “sir” or say “thank you” to the proctologist. Then you curse yourself out for being so absent-minded with your speaking. “How could I call that lady sir? I’m so stupid!” Or “Only an idiot thanks someone for exploring places of your body that should be left alone!”

Examples don’t have to be so extreme. There are a million “How could I?” and “I can’t believe I” Often, we say these things so frequently, we might not even be aware we are doing it. Ask yourself, do you honestly pay close attention to your self-talk or does it seem to take on a life of its own? Is it like a computer program that is constantly running in the background? Maybe you check in every now and again, or maybe you are do busy focused on all you have to get accomplished that day?

The truth is we are always talking to ourselves. Imagine someone following you around 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and giving opinions and passing judgment on our activities. What if 80% of the things this person said were negative? How long before you would tell that person to sit down and shut up? According to the National Science Foundation, that is exactly the percentage of our daily thoughts that are negative. If that isn’t bad enough, 95% of our thoughts are the same thoughts we had the day before. If you are keeping score at home, that means there is a 95% chance that 80% of your self-talk is negative.

Does this mean we are resigned to a life of doom and gloom? Not hardly. What can the average person do to change their inner dialog to one that is more positive? As we have said countless times on this site, the key to success is not fighting against the negative, but adding the positive. This is where all of those smiling at yourself in the mirror saying “I love you” people come in. Although this is very beneficial, initially it may be a bit hard to accept.

I suggest writing yourself a positive motivational affirmation that includes your name and try saying that to yourself first thing every morning. An example might be something like “You are going to kick some butt today Neil, and no challenge will be able to bring you down.” Another option could be “Neil, you are too strong to let the negative in the world bring you down.” Even these may seem a little hokey at first, but they are true. Are you doing your best to improve your life? Are you working your butt off to accomplish your dreams? I bet you are and you deserve to hear that! Especially from yourself!

This week try looking in your eyes in the mirror and saying one positive affirmation twice a day. First thing in the morning and last thing at night. Notice how your conversation improves and how much better you start to feel. Don’t worry if you still catch yourself still talking negative to yourself once in a while. Just focus on that affirmation. Maybe even repeat it to yourself when you do Notice negative inner dialog.

THERE ARE ONLY 2 WAYES TO LIVE YOUR LIFE.

Only seconds ago, I just completed my third book. My hope us to have it edited and in your hands by my birthday on July 29th. We will do our best to make sure that happens.

In the closing chapter, I came across this quote from Albert Einstein. Nothing could be more true. It is a shame most of us never realize this until we are facing a severe health challenge, or worse yet, facing the end of our life. We do not have to let it come to that. There are so many Miracles that come into our lives we have become desensitized to them. Merely breathing and how our bodies transform the air we breathe into a source to keep us alive. Don’t even get me started on changing food to energy and raw material. As an author, my body can change caffeine into words on paper or a keyboard! Trust me when I tell you that is a miracle.

Many people journal. I think it is one of the most powerful tools to positively transform your life. People do everything from gratitude journals, to just keeping a diary. What if we kept a miracle journal? Just record everything we considered a miracle in our lives? It would not only help us better notice the Miracles, but be able to feel the joy in realizing they are there.

I would LOVE to hear what miracle you have experienced or noticed today? Feel free to share with everyone in the comments below. My miracle is that I can turn my recent open heart surgery into a book that will hopefully positively impact the lives of countless people!

HEY BUDDY! THERE IS NO TOILET PAPER!

Today will be a quick, yet important blog. I want to remind everyone how vital our simple acts of kindness can be. A few posts ago, I did this by sharing stories of some nice notes left to me from a coworker and barista. Today’s example was far more striking.

This example came in one line that was uttered to me. Margie told me it was common courtesy. I’m telling you it really saved me from a bad situation. I was at the gym working out some stress as I do 4 to 5 days a week. Before I left there was an urgent matter I had to attend to on the men’s room. As I walked past the first stall, I noticed the door was closed and it was occupied. I hurried to the next one and was just about to take my place upon the porcelain throne, when a voice from the stall next to me rang out. Taking to a stranger while sitting in what is perhaps the most vulnerable position takes some courage. For men, even more so. What important words of wisdom did this gent feel so eager to share with me? That would be the title of this blog. The man shouted “Hey buddy! There is no toilet paper!”

He did not have to do this. I was sure glad he did. In my excitement at the prospect of handling my business, I had failed to check the toilet paper supply situation. This gentleman saved what could have been a quite embarrassing moment for me. Having to yell out, get someone’s attention to let them know there was no toilet paper,wait for that person to tell the appropriate party, and then wait for them to get the paper and hand it to me in the stall. Yes, that might have cast a long shadow on the day.

That man in the other stall, never did see who he was, saved me from a bad day by simply displaying a common courtesy. Not a big deal for him, but certainly one for me. Remember this comical story as you go about your day and make sure to go the extra mile for the people in your life.

ONE SECRET I USE EVERY DAY

Many people ask me my secrets to living a positive rewarding life. There really are no secrets, just putting in the work. This may put off some people looking for a life hack or secret that will transform their life with little to no effort. Usually, things like this do not have a lasting impact. The Secret, if you will, is developing habits that serve you and bring improvement to your life each day.

I’m going to share one of my habits that has the biggest positive impact in my life. This habit has done more for me than perhaps anything else I do. Before I reveal what this habit is, let me share some of the benefits I have received from using it. They may sound like magic, but I promise you they are 100% true.

By utilizing this habit I have been able to reduce my stress and learn new ways to do so. When I feel overwhelmed, it has helped me to not only put things in perspective, but stay motivated to keep going. Speaking of motivation, this habit has provided me motivation to do everything from write to workout. It is completely customizable. I can use it to relax, to energize or even to learn. It has taught me so many different things. I have learned success strategies, relaxation techniques and many other things. Here is the best thing about this tool for success – it requires very little effort. All you have to do is simply push a button.

What is this habit I literally use every single day? In case the pictures haven’t given it away, it is listening to inspirational and motivational things. These can be audiobooks, YouTube videos, speeches or even just some music that gets me pumped up. I compare it to pouring good stuff right into your brain. All that is required is to soak it up like a sponge!

You may be thinking to yourself, “Neil, I am far too busy to sit back and listen to things.” Trust me when I tell you that I can relate. I have 6 jobs, workout 4 to 5 days a week and still enjoy amazing nights with my lady. I get busy. This is when I utilize a method explained by Tony Robbins. He calls it N.E.T. time. That stands for NO EXTRA TIME. What does this mean? It means listening while you are doing other things. Listening to an audiobook on your morning commute and arriving at work motivated. Taking in some motivational speech while sweating at the gym.

The great thing is you can choose what you want to listen to. Want to learn? Pick a subject! Have someone that fires you up? I’m sure they have a video on YouTube. Great thing about YouTube, you can create a Playlist of videos you find valuable! Trust me when I tell you this habit is worth its weight in gold! Once you start mining all of the good that is out there, you will not want to stop! I would love for you to share who and what you like to listen to!

KEEP FIGHTING

Being Monday, I thought this quote was appropriate. Lately, it has been brought to my attention how much the trying times being to our lives. You never know who will stand by you in tough times until you go through… well.. tough times. There are gifts you can only experience in darkness.

When you find yourself going through tough times, remember that you have to go through some very tough times to receive some great gifts. Just keep fighting!

ONE THING TO ENJOY ALL WELL LONG

Just a reminder what a crucial role that water plays in so many functions. This week do your best to have at least 6 glasses of water every day. When you are drinking take a look at this chart and picture all the good you are doing for your body. Take a look online to see more benefits of drinking water. I would love to hear your favorite!

TRY SOMETHING NEW THIS WEEK

This website revolves around improving yourself. Making better life choices. Following powerful and productive strategies that allow you to get more done in a shorter amount of time. A good deal of improving yourself can be to celebrate and love the victories you accomplish. Even the small ones. Do you know what works equally as well as improving yourself and celebrating your victories? Doing the same for others!

It can seem like second nature to be excited about what we worked hard to accomplish and want to share that with others. That is good and we should do that. However, when doing so, we should come from a place of both service and humility. This can be done by asking ourselves one simple question, “Why are we sharing this information?” It is great to want to share our victories and how far we have come with friends. If that is all we do, we can come across as someone who is self-absorbed. If you want to be well-received by those you come in contact with, forget trying to impress them. Instead, inspire them.

We can share our accomplishments with the intentions to let others know they can do the same. What can we offer to help others obtain and maintain a feeling of hope and motivation? How can we inspire them to do great things? That is the idea I would like us all to focus on this week. How do you feel when every time you meet a certain individual, you feel great about yourself and inspired to be even better? Would that be a person you would enjoy being around? Would that be someone you would want to spend more or less time around? How happy would you be to see them? It is my firm belief that the only thing better than being a great leader and example, is to help others be the same. I would love to hear ways in which you inspire others.

BECOME YOUR HERO! 🦸‍♂️

I recall my introduction to the world of self-improvement. It came at 3am as I was sitting on my couch, watching TV and pondering reasons I could give for not going into work at the Post Office. It came in the form of a Tony Robbins infomercial. Zoning in on the television from lack of sleep and listening to Tony talk about living a passionate and rewarding life, I came to a stark realization – I wasn’t. Considering I just spent a half an hour trying to come up with ways I could get out of going to work and that I was feeling completely drained, I thought I could learn something from this man sitting on the porch of his mansion in Hawaii. As I left for work I typed the number into my phone.

I hit send after I got into the car. Despite the fact it was a little after 3am, I was greeted by a very pleasant woman on the other end of the phone. She explained what the program was and how much it cost. It was considerably more that I had planned on spending, but did so anyway. The program, which consisted of several compact discs and a workbook, arrived about a week or so later. It came with an introduction disc. I popped it in, again on the way to work. To be honest, I felt a little hokey. I bought a self-improvement product from an infomercial! Tony’s relatability and passionate manner changed all that. His common sense approach to improving your life introduced me to many concepts that had me thinking, “Yeah, that makes sense.”

As I implemented many of the tools and strategies I learned in the CDs, I was hooked. I became a fan. Not only of Mr. Robbins, but of improving myself as well. Once you start, you can’t believe you lived your life any other way. You also develop a passion for sharing what you learned with others. After all, if you found something that reduced stress and challenges from your life or added a great deal of joy or fulfillment and you didn’t want to share it, you would kind of be a selfish ass. This, of course, would mean you would still have a great deal of improving yourself to do.

I recall listening to one of those CDs and hearing Tony mentioned he had reached people in over 100 countries. My mind was blown. How amazing would it be to reach and help that many people? I could not even conceive of it! After being in this industry for over 20 years and closing in on 10 years of this blog, I can tell you how amazing it would be. I checked the data on my site and found out it has been viewed in… 187 countries! There are only 195 in the entire world! (Greenland, can you help a brother out?) If you look at the map above, every pink area is a country in which a person has laid eyes on something I have written. It is a feeling of both great reward and great responsibility. What really blew my mind is that I have reached more countries than I heard mentioned on that Tony Robbins speech over 20 years ago. I am sure by now Tony has reached almost every person in the world.

It is humbling to think that I have reached souls in over 180 countries in the world. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to help and give hope and joy to so many people. It is also a very humbling feeling to realize that I achieved a goal that I never considered I would be able to do when I first heard it. That is how dreams and goals work. You keep your head down, doing your best. One day you will look up and be amazed at how far you have come. I still listen to those Tony Robbins programs I bought back then to remind me of the powerful tools I learned that got me started on my journey so many years ago. I raise my cup of tea in a toast to all of you who have, or soon will be, on your way to becoming your own hero!

WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF POSTS. MANY OF YOU HAVE WROTE ME EXPRESSING YOUR DESIRE FOR CONTINUING INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION.

I HAVE BEEN BUSY WORKING ON MY UPCOMING BOOK CHRONICLING MY JOURNEY THROUGH OPEN HEART SURGERY. YOU WILL LEARN THE LESSONS I LEARNED, GAIN THE ENLIGHTENMENT I RECEIVED AND SHARE IN THE JOURNEY. I FULLY EXPECT THIS BOOK TO BE AVAILABLE BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY ON JULY 29TH.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE WILL DO OUR BEST NOT TO NEGLECT OUR SERVICES HERE. WE SUGGEST YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG SO YOU WILL BE ALERTED AS SOON AS WONDERFUL NEW CONTENT IS POSTED. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 😀