Author: Dad

I really wish I could take credit for some very powerful lyrics in this song.  Please read this section of the song and let it soak in:

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Yesterday is a kid in the corner
Yesterday is dead and over

— Switchfoot

You still have time to shape and mold your life into what you are supposed to be.  Don’t waste it.  Don’t settle.

—Dad

 

An interesting and clear version of a good Bible verse:

Here is something else I have learned:

Contemporary English Version

When everything is going great, it’s easy to be optimistic.  You feel like you are invincible.  The world is your plaything, your attitude is upbeat, and there is a skip in your step.  If only life was always that way.  Out of nowhere life can shoot you in the back and leave you for dead.  Things can turn on a dime and your world can come crumbling down.  Here are a couple of things you can do to help you stay positive and keep your head in the game.

Try to Control Your Environment – it’s far easier to accept failure when you know that you have done your absolute best and set yourself up for success in the best way possible.  If this hasn’t happened and you have failed, then maybe dig in and try to tackle the small things that would best prevent another setback.  External factors can often be manipulated to help achieve greatness.  This may mean putting in some extra effort in areas you haven’t capitalized on – more practice, more preparation.

Refocus – Instead of dwelling on the mistakes or setbacks of the past, look forward or consider the accomplishments that may be overshadowed by the failure.  There is generally something good that has occurred that you find by simply taking a second glance at the situation.

Conquer Your Fear – Don’t let fear get the upper hand and cause you to become complacent or have a lackadaisical attitude.  There’s a reason that parents have always encouraged their child to brush off the scapes and climb back onto the bicycle.  It’s because giving in to the fear of failure can rob you of the reward of your perseverance and hard work.  Stay mentally positive, maintaining your drive and intent, not swayed by adversity or hardship.  Dig deep, be bold, and challenge yourself.

 

 

As you have probably realized, I get a lot of inspiration from reading positive and uplifting authors that I find online.  I usually search out those that in particular would provide motivation and determination to my children.  Like everyone, my children battle setbacks and shortcomings from time to time.  I always try to teach them that hard work and a positive mental attitude best prepare them for rebounding from those setbacks and help ensure a positive path moving forward.  Here is an interesting portion of an article I found through the online version of Inc. magazine by author Scott Mautz regarding overcoming failures in your life:

Ask yourself, “What if these people had let their failure shut them down?”

1. The greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan, was cut from his high school team.
2. Walt Disney was fired from his job at a newspaper early in his career–they said he lacked imagination.
3. Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school three times.
4. John Grisham’s first book, “A Time to Kill”, was rejected twenty-eight times.
5. Albert Einstein had the label “mentally slow” put on his permanent school record.
6. Henry Ford’s first two automobile companies failed.
7. Oprah Winfrey was fired from an early job as a television news anchor.
8. Jerry Seinfeld was booed off stage in his first stand-up comedy appearance.
9. Sir James Dyson suffered through 5,126 failed prototypes before he landed on the first working Dyson vacuum.
10. Elvis Presley was fired from the Grand Ole Opry and was told to go back to truck driving.
11. Colonel Harland Sanders of KFC fame was rejected over 1000 times before finding a franchise partner.

Scott adds:  “Feel better? You should. We’ve all been there. It’s all in your frame of reference and determination to keep moving forward, which is in your control.”

 

 

 

In society, we place strong emphasis on celebrity status.  There are countless websites, blogs, publications, and television programs devoted to celebrities, athletes, and other significant personalities. We follow their wealth, their politics, their trends of clothing, and even their everyday activities.  These “stars” become the envy of many who strive to attain the same status by emulating what they see in the media.  Many times, in so doing, people lose who it is that they are in order to be more like those that they see.  It seems everyone wants to be famous.

Author Emily Smith recently wrote an article for the New York Times titled “You’ll Never Be Famous – And That’s O.K.”  It’s a really good read but if you want to get the quick version, it is all summed up in the last sentence of the article:

“You don’t have to change the world or find your one true purpose to lead a meaningful life.  A good life is a life of goodness – and that’s something anyone can aspire to, no matter their dreams or circumstances.”

She adds, “The most meaningful lives are often not the the extraordinary ones.  They’re the ordinary ones lived with dignity.”

I’d like to challenge my kids to see the importance and relevance of who they are just like they are.  Not to kill their motivation for success because striving to reach your potential is so vitally important. Instead, I’d like them to just know that what they see in the media is not reflective of true success.  Living productive lives, enriching those that we can influence through our everyday walk, and finding a feeling of contentment within the realm of reasonable expectations is a much better definition of being “famous”.

 

I love famous movie quotes and my favorite movie of all time was the 1987 movie Wall Street starring most notably Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen.  I’ve watched it enough times to have memorized some of the lines and one of the most thought-provoking quotes in the movie was actually by actor Hal Holbrook.  Hal plays Charlie’s boss in the movie and just as Charlie begins engaging in some less-than-ethical business dealings, he delivers a valuable piece of advice to Charlie.  Hal says “Man looks into the abyss, there is nothing staring back at him.  At that moment, man finds his character, and that is what keeps him out of the abyss”.

That’s pretty deep and ultimately there are varying opinions regarding the meaning of the phrase.  In watching the movie, you understand that Charlie must ultimately be able to live with himself for his decisions, right or wrong.  That’s a great source of inspiration to me.  Each day we make decisions about things we do and things that we say.  When the crowd has died down and we are all alone, it’s the mental battle within each one of us, our conscience vs. our morals vs. our values, that must provide us with contentment.  When you look in the mirror, you see yourself as the world sees you, the outer you.  When you look into total darkness, there is no reflection and you are alone with your thoughts and feelings, the inner you.  I’m going to strive to make my decisions and my actions be those that I can live with and be proud of, not those that I regret or that I am ashamed of.

Research shows that the most pivotal part of your day is the morning.  It is at that time that the tone and direction for your day can best be established both mentally and physically.  Over the years, I have heard of many routines of others to ensure that their day stood the best chance for success.  Some attest to eating a good breakfast, getting a good cup of coffee, a morning exercise routine, prayer and meditation, and yoga just to name a few habits that many believe actually help them have a happier and more productive day.  I just finished an article that mentioned using the acronym PCO to serve as a reminder of three important mental attributes which can help you have the best chance for a successful day.

P = Purpose

C = Control

O = Optimism

Beginning your morning with a sense of purpose with goals in mind is a great way to maintain focus throughout the day.  Knowing what you want to accomplish before getting into your school or work routine can help you literally check off individual items of success from your mental to-do list.  What a rewarding feeling it is to be able to succeed in meeting those goals.  Furthermore, the accomplishments just serve as a catalyst to keep you going forward all day long.

Being in control of your thoughts, actions, and emotions throughout the day will also give you the best chance for success.  Remaining calm despite what obstacles and challenges the world presents allows you to use your mind at its peak performance not being manipulated by circumstances we generally cannot control.

Finally, the obvious.  Optimism, while sometimes difficult to embrace in a world that seems to be driven on the negative, can prove to be your best asset to fight off fatigue, exertion, anger, boredom, and many of the other negative feelings that are usually best at stealing a productive day from you.  Remaining positive and trying to see the good in all circumstances will empower you to press on and achieve your day’s goals.

I recently read an interesting list of healthy strategies found in author Tom Corley’s book Rich Habits – The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.  After reading through the list, I realized that they were not just for wealthy people or even for people that are trying to reach one person’s definition of wealth.  They are simply great strategies that will help everyone, regardless of economic status, and they apply to anyone seeking to be successful in whatever area of life they choose.  I am listing those strategies for you here:

1. Successful people form daily good habits and follow these good habits every single day.
2. Successful people set goals and create a plan to reach those goals.
3. Successful people devote time each day to self-improvement.
4. Successful people manage their consumption of food and engage in regular exercise.
5. Successful people foster, grow and improve their relationships with others every day.
6. Successful people do everything in moderation.  No extreme behaviors.
7. Successful people do not procrastinate and have a “Do It Now” mindset.
8. Successful people engage in rich thinking every day.  They are positive and enthusiastic.
9. Successful people pay themselves first by putting 10% of their salary into savings.
10. Successful people are the masters of their thoughts and emotions.

It certainly helps to have a list like this to look over and find where we fall short.  I am committing today to striving to improve on those things above that need more attention in my life.  Where do you see room for improvement in your life?

Robert Brault said it best when he said “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things”.  What a true statement.  In the fast-paced world we live in today, the significance of those little things is often overlooked as we glide through them, many times failing to even express our gratitude.  As we grow older, it becomes far easier to reflect back on those little things and realize just how important they were and how they deserved so much more attention.  Try to be conscious of everyday events as they are occurring – a conversation with a friend, an act of kindness shown toward you by others, or simply family time spent laughing and sharing.

Each day life is full of challenges and obstacles, some of our doing, others simply occur by chance.  Our reaction to those challenges and whatever consequences they bring can prevent a chain reaction leading to additional problems. Most importantly, how we react to failure is crucial in determining the next step in our path.  Admiral William McRaven said, “Know that life is not fair and you will fail often”.  He adds, “Failure can make you stronger”.  I think what he is getting at is that by allowing failure to paralyze us, we lose a second time.  In contrast, by using the failure to catapult us into a re-energized attitude and mentality of striving to correct and overcome the failure, we prepare ourselves for future success.  Don’t let failure or lack of success cripple you and prevent you from achieving the greatness that lies within your potential.  Step up and step out, refocused and prepared for success.  Take chances and don’t be afraid to fail.