Don't live a "what if" life.

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

"I would rather fail one thousand times before I ever have to look in the mirror and say 'what if'."

-Tyler Nelson

 

Looking back at times in my life when I have failed, it hurts, but from those failures I grew.  When I look back at times in my life when I never tried... well, I guess I'll never know, and that hurts a lot more than failure ever will.  With failure comes an opportunity to rise up, to learn, to become more.  If we never try, we are only left with a nagging feeling as we wonder what we could have done, what we could have become.  When given that opportunity... try.  Best of luck, my friends.

Short term gratification or long term sucess.

Repost "Do you want it bad enough?"

I posted this several months ago and just the other day ran across it again.  I had to repost it.  Enjoy!

There was a Young Man who wanted to make a lot of money and so he went to an Old Guru and said, "I want to be on the same level you are."

So the Guru says, "If you want to be on the same level I am, I'll meet you at the beach tomorrow morning. 4 AM."

The Young Man looking confused says, "The beach?? I don't wanna swim, I wanna make money!"

"4 AM."

 The Young Man gets to the beach at 4 AM, all ready to rock and roll, wearing a suit - should have wore shorts -  and the Old Guru walks up to great him and grabs his hand. He asks, "How bad do you want to be successful?"

The Young Man excited states, "Real bad!"

"Then walk out into the water."

So the Young Mann starts walking out into the water. About waist deep he starts thinking to himself 'This man must be crazy!', but he continues to walks out. "Hey I wanna make money and you got me out here swimming. I didn't ask to be a lifeguard. I wanna make money!"

The Guru looks at him and says, "Come out a little farther."

The Young Man walks out a little farther. The water is up to his throat. Now he's thinking 'This man is crazy, I mean -  he's makin' money, but he's crazy!', but he keeps walking out. The water is up to his mouth now and his mind is racing 'I'm about to go back in, this guy is out of his mind!', and he turns around.

The Old Guru yells to him and says, "I thought you wanted to be successful?"

"I do," says the Young Man.

"Then walk a little further."

So the Young Man starts to walk out a little farther and the Old Guru grabs his head and puts it under the water. He holds him down and I mean he has him held down. The Young Man is scratching and clawing at him. The Old Guru keeps holding him down. Holding him down. Then right as the Young Man is about to pass out, gently the Old Guru raises him up. The Guru looks at him and says, "I got a question for you... when you were under water, what did you want?"

"I wanted to breathe."

"Now when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful." And with that the Old Guru released the Young Man and began walking to shore.

 

Such a simple concept but so powerful.  So many times in my life, I thought I wanted something... but I didn't really want it, I just thought I did.  Looking back I can understand that because things would come up: friends would call, I would get tired, I would get lazy.  When things came up, the thing that I thought I wanted most now became second.  We have to evaluate ourselves and ask ourselves how bad we really want it!  Then after verbally answering the question, go prove it to yourself!

It's your choice.



Are you considered "successful"?

 

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."

-Bill Cosby

 

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."

-David Brinkley

 

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it."

-Bruce Lee

 

Few quotes today... Loved them all so I decided to share them.  So this word... success... what is it?  Everyone talks about how when they grow up they want to be "successful."  We also tend to classify others on the fact that they are "successful."  I guess on a statistical standpoint maybe you could judge this, but even then, who gets to decide where that line of success really is.  Here are my thoughts on the matter...

 

Do I really care if, according to other people, I am classified as a successful man?  No.  I care about how I feel about myself as well as the day I will stand before God.  That is what is important to me.  That is what I will strive for.  At the end of the day, if Sally says I did a really good job on my test or on my workout, but I don't feel satisfied, I will be grateful for the wonderful compliment, but I am going to work my tail off to make sure I will feel satisfied with my results next time.  On the flip side, if Bill says I need to work harder to help get the unwanted pounds off or to make more money, but I am extremely satisfied with my results, I will not let that be the reason I beat myself up and put myself down.  At the end of the day I want to look in the mirror and know I tried my absolute hardest.  I want to know I left nothing in the tank and I gave it my all.  If I do this, there is no possible way I will ever consider myself unsuccessful.  I may not bench press the amount I was hoping for or I may not score the 98% I was hoping for, but if I give it my all and don't hold back, whatever my results may be... I will be happy.  I will be successful.  Best of luck, my friends.

Do something today.

"I need to be doing something. If I am sitting down, I feel like I am wasting time, and someone else is doing something. If I am not working, someone else is, and someone else is getting better... and I can't have that."

-Rich Froning

 

Whether you decide to get up and do something today or not, I can promise that someone else is, and they are getting that much closer, that much better.  Now your dreams may not involve anyone else... it may be you against you... but if you do not get up and go do something to get you that much closer, who is winning?  How can we win if we are not willing to get up and do something, anything?  So your challenge today... go do something!  Best of luck, my friends.

Spot checking our attitude.

So...  you might be seeing a trend in the last few posts.  Attitude.  Outlook.  Point of view.  However you want to word it...  On a daily basis we will not be able to make the progress that we want to see unless our outlook on life is in a position to let us progress.  So before we can continue on this journey, let us take another opportunity to check ourselves and make sure we are not hindering our own progression.  Let us also keep in mind that this should not be the only time we evaluate our attitude.  This should start to become a very common thing.  Best of luck, my friends.

It's not just another day.

Was today just another day?  Feeling like you are just stuck in a routine and nothing new ever happens?  It doesn't have to be that way.  A little while ago I talked about waking up every day and deciding if you were going to have a good day or a bad day.  This is a very similar concept.  When you are just having "another day," don't focus on that.  Find something that was different or open your eyes to find the amazing little small things that we pass by every day. 

 

Here is an example for you: I drive 30ish miles to work in the morning.  This means I have to wake up a little earlier to make sure I have enough time to get there with morning traffic.  I use to find myself silently grumbling about this every morning and how I wish I could just sleep in.  I was put in a situation where it didn't really matter what I thought, I still had to get up and go to work.  One day I happen to notice how amazing the sunrise was that morning.  I then thought to myself, "have I been missing this every day???"  From that point on I now think of my drive as I chance for me to admire how beautiful this earth is and it now gives me a chance to reflect on my life and even connect with God.

 

You will be put in routines and situations where you don't have a lot of control.  The only thing we can always control is our thoughts and our point of view on our particular situation.  Try this tomorrow, see if you can tell a difference.  Best of luck, my friends.

It's all on you.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."

-Henry David Thoreau

 

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'.

-Erma Bombeck

 

"Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too."

-Will Smith

 

It's all on us.  God gave us agency, the gift to make choices for ourselves.  Now in life, things will happen that we don't have control of, but agency gives us the ability to choose how we will react.  Whether you have a bad day at the gym, your test didn't go as good as you were hoping, or maybe you even had a family member pass away before you thought it was their time.  All we can do is bounce right back.  Had a bad day?  Well make tomorrow better.  We have to strive to make each day better than the last.  If we at least strive to do this, we cannot fail.  Best of luck, my friends.

Minor setbacks.

"I'm proud of the way I've dealt with setbacks. It's hard when you feel down and you think, 'Why is the world doing this to me?' But you have to pick yourself up again. That's what makes you a better athlete."

-Jessica Ennis

 

How many times in life do we get frustrated with ourselves when we either fall short of one of our goals, or make some stupid mistake in life?  The frustration that follows can be beneficial in the sense that we recognize our mistakes or obstacles in life.  This same frustration can destroy our progress if we continually dwell on it.  I truly believe the quicker we can learn and move on, the better off we are.  I guess the trick here is truly learning from it.  Let us all strive to be better today than we were yesterday.  Let us all strive for our dreams and not let minor setbacks destroy all the progress we have already made.  Best of luck, my friends.

You have to try.

Enjoy the ride.

Accepting personal responsibility.



"Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else."

-Les Brown

 

We could come up with all the excuses in the world to why we are not where we want to be in life, but that is all they are, excuses.  When we, as humans, make excuses, we often blame other people for our own failures or shortcomings.  Just because Billy Bob didn't meet you at the gym like he said he would, doesn't mean you get to just go home and take a rest day.  Best of luck!  Keep that smile on, my friends.

Creating your own inner strength.

"Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy."

-Norman Vincent Peale

 

Do you believe in yourself?  Do you truly believe in what you are fighting for?  If you do not, how can you expect to find that drive deep inside you?  When times get hard and you begin to truly be tested, how will you fight through?  If you know without a shadow of a doubt that you are doing what you are meant to do, I can promise you that when times get hard you will have the inner strength to fight through and become successful, become happy.  Remember why you are fighting the fight.  Best of luck, and keep that smile on.

An emotional attachment.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched -  they must be felt with the heart."

-Helen Keller

 

So today is short, sweet, and to the point.  Every dream, every goal, everything we strive for needs an emotional attachment.  I personally believe that the stronger the attachment, the better.  When you are setting small stepping stone goals, and you hit them, the drive and motivation that will come from that will blow your mind.  When you have this attachment it also helps for a much better personal evaluation of where you are in life, and where you are going.  Feel good about what you are doing.  Enjoy life, and most importantly... keep that smile on!!

Creating good habits.

"Successful people are those with successful habits."

-Brian Tracy

 

"Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, that constantly, daily, express our character."

-Stephen Covey 

 

Habits.  This is a subject I like to talk about often.  In one word it describes what I mean when I talk about "daily" as one of the seven D's.  So I was surfing the web learning about how habits are formed.  One of the most common statements I found was that it takes 21 days to form a habit.  Now whether this number is super accurate or not, I don't really care.  Here is my challenge to you: Go find out!  Take the next 21 days and focus on one small daily action that will help you get one step closer to your dreams!  You do not have to make it some huge task that will take you hours and hours to finish each day.  Something small.  Reread yesterdays post, that may be that one small thing that could help you out.  Just go try something!  Best of luck, my friends!

Treat every day as if it were the last.

"Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed."

-Wayne Dyer

 

"Every man dies - Not every man really lives"

-William Ross Wallace

 

I remember several months ago, maybe even a year ago, I decided to try something.  I decided I would wake up every single day and verbally ask myself if I wanted to have a good day or a bad day.  Now this may seem completely ridiculous, but it worked.  Now yes, while going through life we are going to have things happen to us that are just completely out of our control.  This is a fact, but it is also a fact that we get to decide how we are going to respond to any given situation.  I honestly have no idea why in the world I stopped doing this...  I guess I just got lazy.  I promise you it will help when life starts to seem blah and we start to just go through the motions.  Life is good, enjoy it.  Live every day as if it were your last.  Best of luck, friends.

Better know what you're fighting for.

"They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for."

-The Cab

 

Why do people quit?  It seems like we can become so passionate about something and then a week later we throw in the white towel and call it quits.  Why???  Well I truly believe it is because we either forget why we are here in the first place or we never had a strong enough "why" to begin with.  Yes it is true that we as people in the 21st century get super lazy, but we can beat that as long as we have a strong enough "why."

 

Today I want you to take two minutes out of your day and ask yourself "why?"  Why do I get up everyday and go to school/work?  Why do I go to the gym or workout every day?  Why do I come home from school dead tired and still stay up another two hours studying?  If you can continue to answer these types of questions and continue to keep that passion burning inside, you will never quit.  I can promise you that.  Best of luck, my friends.

Losing sight of what is most important.

Wow...It has been awhile... I apologize for going MIA for so long.  I let life get the best of me.  I got so busy and slowly lost sight of what was most important.  Don't let this happen to you!  Luckily I am surrounded by some amazing friends and family who have helped me get right back on track.

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision."

-Helen Keller

 

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

-Andre Gide

 

This second quote is so great, it really illustrates what I started to get caught up in the last several weeks.  I got so busy and started spending so much time on what I needed to get done now that I never stopped to take two minutes out of my day to remember the big picture.  Your homework/challenge today: please take just those two minutes and remember why you are doing what you are doing.  Remember what that big picture is all about.  Best of luck my friends.  It is good to be back.  See you tomorrow!

Just do it.

 

"The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything."

-Theodore Roosevelt

 

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"

-Vincent van Gogh

 

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

-Theodore Roosevelt

 

"...wanting change is step one, but step two is taking it."

-Isaac Marion

 

What is holding you back?  We all get nervous, especially to take that first step.  Just remember this: You cannot take that last step, to cross the finish line of your dream, until you take that first step.  Whether it may be the first step, the last step, or anywhere in between, take a step today! Best of luck, friends!

One bad day.

 

"This might be the story today, but this isn't how my life is going to end."

-Eric Thomas

 

We cannot let one bad day discourage us.  We need hope, we need an understanding.  If we understand that life is going to throw us punches now and then, we can understand that it is inevitable... we will have a bad day, we will get knocked down... but will you get back up?  Again and again?  I hope so!  Best of luck!

What you will do when no credit will be given.

 

"Today I will do what others won't so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't."

-Jerry Rice

 

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good."

-Jerry West

 

Two great quotes today.  This is exactly how you will get ahead of your competition, whether that may be yourself or another person.  When the other person is sleeping, you must be working.  When the old you would have taken the day off, you work harder than you ever have before.  Every chance that you have to get ahead cannot be wasted, because every chance the other guy has to get ahead of you... he will take!  Remember this and do NOT take the day off today! Best of luck!

 

"It's the guy who is willing to go the extra mile that will win the extra inch."

-Tyler Nelson



Choose who you will become.

 

"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."

-C.G. Jung

 

Today goes right along with what we have been talking about the last few days.  You will choose who you will become by choosing what you will do day in and day out.  When you form habits by the things you choose to do each and every day, these habits will be a great indicator of the person you will become.  At the end of a day, look back on what you did, what kind of thoughts went through your head.  If you are not happy with what you find, make a change the next day.  My biggest advice dealing with this concept is to not wait until you have a big wake up call.  Do not wait.  Whether things are going great or you are terribly miserable, check yourself now!  That is my challenge for you at the end of this day.  Make changes are necessary and you will find yourself cruising along on the path towards a successful dream!  Best of luck! 

 



Day in and day out, never stop.

 

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."

-St. Augustine

 

"Our patience will achieve more than our force."

-Dutch Proverb

 

Well did you take the challenge?  Did you do something yesterday to help construct that door, to prepare yourself for when your opportunity arrives?  Now the real challenge: Can you do it again today?  And tomorrow?  Every single day focus on doing at least one thing to bring you that much closer.  Continue to do the small things each and every day so you are ready for when your opportunity arrives.  Even if all you do is take five minutes out of your day, sit in peace, and make sure that the passion is still there.  Sometimes it is a good idea to double check yourself to make sure you are not steering off the path.  Stay focused and push forward.  Best of luck! 

Build a door.

 

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."

-Milton Berle

 

How many times in life have you been sitting there with a friend and you see a celebrity or a sports star on the T.V. or on a magazine and they say to you "Man, they are so lucky"?  Let me tell you this: They are not!  Everyone in life will have opportunities.  What separates them from the average person is they prepared themselves so when opportunity did come, they would be ready.  Opportunities will come all the time, we just may not notice.  Like this quote says, build a door.  In other words prepare yourself so when opportunity does come, it will have something to knock on to let you know it is here.  Don't wait, do something today!

Lead your heart.

 

"Do not follow your heart, for it can be deceived... but lead your heart..."

-Fireproof

 

I cannot express to you how much I love this quote.  So many times in life we tend to sit and wait, trying to read what our hearts are telling us to do.  This needs to be done with a sense of urgency.  And when I say that I do not mean take the next ten minutes to rush and decide.  What I mean, is it should be a priority.  When cannot sit and wait for something to happen, we have to take action to make it happen.  Lead your heart.  Search your soul, your spirit, and then lead your heart.  Best of luck!

Remember when...

 

"It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace."

-Chuck Palahniuk

 

Remember that time when you worked so hard and everything started to pay off?  Remember the peace you felt?  The sense of accomplishment?  Do not let those memories quickly leave.  Remember that and continue to work your tail off, because I promise you this: it will be worth it.  It may not always seem like it at the time, but unlike God, we cannot see the whole picture sometimes.  Have faith, keep driving forward, and everything will work out.  Best of luck, friends.

Gratitude could make or break our dream.

 

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

-Marcel Proust

 

"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayers. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good."

-Maya Angelou

 

We'll keep today simple.  In order to reach our dreams, we have to reach out to others, we need help.  When we receive this help, because mostly likely we will, be thankful and do not let it pass by.  Above all, thank those who help you take that next step.  Sometimes all we need is that last little push, and most of the time our pride will not allow us to reach out and ask for the help we need.  We are put here with others for a reason.  We are not here to do it all alone.  Your challenge today: take a few minutes to thank those who have made a difference in your life, those who have helped you to take that one step closer to your dream.

 

For me: Mom and Dad, I first want to thank you.  I would not be the man I am today if it wasn't for you.  You have given me opportunities that most can only dream for: you put a roof above my head, clothes on my body, food, and education.  That right there is remarkable in itself, but you have gone way above and beyond that.  For this, I thank you.

 

To all my brothers, friends, family, co-workers, and especially my girlfriend: Thank you all so much for the support you have given me throughout the years.  You have all played such an important role in my life, and I wish I could thank you all on an individual level.  To all those who have pushed me to drive for my dreams, no matter how crazy they are, thank you all. 

There is no better day than today.

Hello everyone!  I first want to start with an apology:  I am sorry for missing my posts the last few days.  Unfortunately, due to some health concerns, I was unable to get to a computer.  But on with the good stuff!  So today is a great day; today is a new beginning.  Every day can be a new beginning, if you make it out to be.  This post is for all of those people who have struggled to start working on that new goal, who have been on the fence and need that last little push to get started.  There is no better day than today.

 

"In the dim background of our mind, we know what we ought to be doing but somehow we cannot start."

-William James

 

"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect."

-Alan Cohen

 

"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves, otherwise we harden."

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Do you think you can?

"Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can."

-Vince Lombardi

 

"The man who thinks he can, and the man who thinks he can't are both right. Which one are you?"

-Henry Ford

 

If you, the one who holds these amazing, life long dreams, do not believe you can achieve them, then why are you even trying?  If you do not truly believe that you can do it, you are wasting your time, because if that is the case, the battle is already over.  You would have already lost... before it ever even began.  Know it is possible.  Know that you are strong enough and capable of overcoming anything in order to achieve your dream.  You need to know this long before you even start working for it.

 

"Great moments are born from great opportunity... and that's what you have here tonight. That's what you earned here tonight."

-Miracle

Your tomorrow is today.

 

"Tomorrow you promise yourself will be different, yet tomorrow is too often a repetition of today."

-James T. McCay

 

How many times in life have you said "Okay, I will start tomorrow," and then tomorrow comes and nothing happens?  Maybe you do start tomorrow and go three of four days in your new habit or out of your old habit, and then you stop.  Why?  Is this a sign you don't want it bad enough?  My answer to that question is no.  Your actions however would tell someone looking in from the outside that yes, you must not want it bad enough.  Let me tell you this, you are not alone.  As long as you keep trying, there must be something inside of you, something that keeps those dreams alive.  We just may need a new approach.

 

One day at a time is the best answer, in my opinion.  Somewhere by your bed you need a reminder, so that one of the first things you do every morning is ask yourself a question.  Every morning you need to ask yourself if you are going to stay on track and keep moving forward.  Every morning you need to ask yourself if today is going to be better than yesterday.  If you do this, I can promise you that you will have a much better chance of staying on track.  Life can become so crazy, and sometimes all we need is a little reminder.  We know what we truly want, but we tend to lose focus of that when we start thinking about the million different things we need to get done today and tomorrow.  Find yourself a reminder, so when you are drifting off, you can quickly and easily be brought back to your own reality, your dreams.  Best of luck.

 

"Today is your new tomorrow, no more delays. We need a sense of urgency, it has to be now or never."

-Tyler Nelson

Don't set out to build a wall.

 

"You don't set out to build a wall. You don't say 'I'm going to build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that's ever been built.' You don't start there. You say, 'I'm going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.' You do that every single day... and soon you have a wall."

-Will Smith

 

This is perfect.  How many times do we hear "just take it one day at a time"?  Here is the little bit of insight that I would like to add to this: If we start laying these bricks without any sort of plan or end goal, we don't know what will come out.  But if we only dwell on that end goal and not think about laying each brick, or living each day, our final outcome will be greatly disappointing.  So briefly look ahead, make sure you are heading in the right direction, then refocus your attention on what you are doing each and every day.  Best of luck!



Fuel your passion.

"Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music."

-Mac Anderson

 

Today is simple... just like any car, lawn mower, or computer, your passion or dream also requires fuel or power.  We have to continually fuel up or power up our passion.  How do we do this?  Well it varies from person to person.  Myself?  Nothing gets me more pumped than watching videos of some of my running idols or athletic motivational videos.  For some people all it takes is a great song, other people... maybe a spiritual reawakening.  Whatever it is, find what works for you and stick with it!

The "Treadmill" attitude.

"The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be out-worked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things... But if we get on the treadmill together, there's two things: You're getting off first, or I'm going to die. It's really that simple.

 

You're not going to out-work me. It's such a simple, basic concept. The guy who is willing to hustle the most is going to be the guy that just gets that loose ball. The majority of people who aren't getting the places they want or aren't achieving the things that they want in this business is strictly based on hustle. It's strictly based on being out-worked; it's strictly based on missing crucial opportunities. I say all the time if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready."

 

-Will Smith 

 

This is a mindset that I have recently gained, and today I want to share it with all of you.  Do you remember the quote I shared with you a while ago?  The one that stated: "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful."  Well this goes right along with that.  The difference is this quote compares yourself to the competition... however 90 percent of the time your competition is yourself.  Are you going to be better today than you were yesterday?  Well I will tell you this much... I will die trying.  If we truly gave everything we had...  If we never held back because of fear... If we would just push away all of our daily distractions and have this mindset... well, we would never fail.  Period.  It is just not possible.  Take a look at your mindset, make adjustments where needed, and press on.  Best of luck!

Are you finding excuses?

"If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."

-Unknown

 

Hello everyone!!  Another week is at hand, let's make the best of it!  I will keep today short, sweet, and to the point.  This quote really hits it on the head.  There is no gray area, you are either making things happen, or you are making excuses.  One or the other.  Period.  This week I challenge you to step back and find out what you tend to do on a regular basis.  If you are finding you tend to make more excuses, make a change.  Best of luck!

The greatest sacrifice.

"The most important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what you are for what you will become."

-Eric Thomas

 

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning!  Today is going to be a great day!  Why?  Because I decided it was going to be!  This quote is so important.  We, as human beings, create habits.  We fall into these habits, and some of us let these habits destroy our very being.  We let these bad habits destroy our dreams.  At any moment, if you truly want it bad enough, you will say no.  You will beat it.  You will not quit.  You will succeed.

 

It could be anything.  Maybe you have a hard time finishing a workout.  Maybe you get tired too easily and quit studying.  Maybe you see someone better than you and get frustrated, letting that frustration control you.  Whatever it is, you have to be willing to let that go.  You have to be willing to fight, to become that who you want to become.  It comes down to a choice.  It can be as easy or as difficult as you want it... but I promise you this... if you really want it, if you are willing to lay everything on the line, just remember that and say no.  Just remember that and fight on.  Just take it one day at a time, but today is that day.  Best of luck, champions. 

Hardwork.

 

"Dear Hard Work...

 

I used to hate you. When you called my name, I heard it, but ran away from you. When I knew you were coming, I used to hide from you. When you influenced others to talk to me, I quickly made excuses to get away from you. Afraid of the pain because I didn't want to get hurt. Afraid to fail, so I didn't even try... and afraid of your name, because of what you have done to others.

 

Who do you think you are making me so afraid of who you are? Reflection in the mirror, shadow behind me... I take one step and you are still ahead of me. Sweat in my face, tears in my eyes. Is there anything that you can't do?

 

Now look at me. You made me who I am today, and because of you, I have this never loosing, never giving up attitude. Quitting? That's not in my vocabulary. When they quit, I keep going. When they sleep, I work harder. When they say that I can't and count me out, I show them that I can. When I tell them about me dreams, and they laugh, I make sure I laugh last. I am a dream chaser. That means I chase my dream and no one else's. Only I can defeat me. It's me against this work you put on me.

 

There is no loosing... I will not lose...

 

I came this far, and I am not stopping now. Oh, Hard Work, my dad was right about you, you do pay off, and because of that... I love you. How can I not? I am no longer hiding from you... I am waiting for you. As a matter of fact... where are you?

 

I need you.. because in Hard Work I trust."

 

Our perspective on our position.

"Some people see the glass half full. Others see it half empty. I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be."

-George Carlin

 

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

-Abraham Lincoln

 

"It is the obvious which is so difficult to see most of the time. People say 'It's as plain as the nose on your face.' But how much of the nose on your face can you see, unless someone holds a mirror up to you?"

-Isaac Asimov

 

Now from these few quotes it is probably evident what today's post is about, perspective.  We are our own worst critics.  Especially those who aim high and are pursuing their own form of perfection, which can be achieved might I add.  When we become that awful critic, it usually does not end well.  Let me explain.  There are times when self evaluation is critical.  The problem is so many of us try to do this from a very obscure and unclear point of view.  The end result... a complete massacre of our own self confidence.

 

Today look at where you are, who you are, and the direction you are heading.  Our goal is to improve each and every day.  We cannot expect to achieve that perfection in anything right this second, it is a working progress.  As long as that motivational compass is pointing in the right direction, you cannot fail.  So do a quick self evaluation.  Are you doing the things that will help you get one step closer to that dream, big or small?  If so, keep it up, you are heading in the right direction, even if sometimes it doesn't feel like it.  If not, well, you know a good place to start.  It's the small things that sometimes matter most.  It's your point of view and perspective that can make or break your own self confidence and your own motivation.  Best of luck, friends.



Want a change? Make a change.

"If you wait, all that happens is you get older."

-Larry McMurtry

 

Today goes out to all those people who want a change in their life, but don't know where to start.  Now I do not have all the answers, so my goal today is to hopefully prompt you enough to at least consider trying something new.  Try anything, because if you do not, nothing will change.

 

This is a great concept to consider when dealing with "Distraction."  Things happen, there is nothing we can do about that.  We only have control of how we will react.  If something is standing between you and your dream, you are held responsible to do something about it.  I highly advise to not try and wait it out.  99.9 percent of the time, it will win, whatever the distraction may be.  Make a change.  Do something to overcome the distraction, and get one step closer to achieving your dream today. 

Pain is temporary.

"Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute, an hour, a day, or even a year... But eventually it will subside, and something else will take it's place. If I quit, however, it will last forever."

-Unknown

 

Now at first glance a lot of athletes and people with some sort of physical goal will easily be able to apply this to their life, but anyone with any dream will also be able to apply this.  There are two forms of pain.  There is a pain where something is seriously wrong, and one may injure themselves, but there is also a pain we call discomfort.  It is so important to learn the difference between the two.  When the pain is merely a discomfort, we have to learn how to tough it up and push through.  When one quits from discomfort, there will be a moment right after they have recovered enough to know they are not injured, when regret and disappointment will sink in.

 

The pain that will last forever will be the pain of not knowing.  Not knowing how good you could have been.  Now knowing where in life you could have gone had you toughed it up when times got hard and you experienced a little discomfort.  Not knowing if you would have become the man or woman you always wanted to become.  I can tell you first hand, that I have had workouts, weeks, even months where I let a little discomfort shatter my world.  Luckily, I was able to experience this and recognize this at an early age.  It is never too late.  Gain an understanding of this concept, and then... go live it.  Best of luck, I'll see you tomorrow. 

No matter how bad it gets...

"Just know, when you truly want success, you'll never give up on it. No matter how bad the situation may get."

-Unknown

I want to apologize for missing my posts the last few days.  This quote really hit home for me this last week.  I hope in one way or another it can help all of you as well.  This last week I had to ask myself if I really wanted it, if I would really give everything to achieve what I have set my heart on.  No excuses and no holding back.  I found my answer.  I hope you can too.

Enjoy the little things.

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were really the big things."

-Unknown

 

This morning, an amazing friend of mine taught me a great lesson.  There is a great deal of importance to keep a log, of just life!  When we can look back and see what we have been through, what made us smile, how much we have grown, it can, and will, lead to amazing feelings.  To see progress is always an amazing feeling, but to look back and realize what was going on in life when progress was being made is so important.  I have always been told: if things are not going how you would like them to, look back and see what you were doing before.  Once you find the answer, start doing it again and things will get better!

Acknowledge the problem.

"You cannot change what you refuse to confront."

-Unknown

 

I love this saying; short, sweet, and to the point.  So I will keep this post the same way.  You cannot fix the problem until you are willing to acknowledge the problem.  Stop pretending it's not there and do something about it.  Don't let it get in the way of your dream.

Fear vs. Desire

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."

-Bill Cosby

 

So many of us will not reach our dream because fear outweighed our desire to get there.  So many of us, myself included, want to have some sort of "backup plan" in case things don't work out.  We cannot be thinking that way!  Right there, what that tells us is that we are planning on failure.  We begin to respect and then accommodate for our fears.  The end result will soon enough be failure.  All because our fear outweighed our desire.

Are we crazy?

"The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world... are the ones who do."

-Unknown

 

Whatever it is you are striving for, you're not crazy.  If people think you are, then let them think that.  If you give in and believe them, then I guess you were just crazy.  We are not crazy... we have a dream... and we will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

One bad day.

"Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's okay to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing."

-H. Stanley Judd

 

We may have a bad game, practice, debate, study session, run, or even a bad day.  We have to move on.  I have learned that dwelling on your failures will only waste your time and energy.  It will instantly suck all of your motivation right out of you.  We have to temporarily acknowledge our failures so we can learn from them.  From that point on, we take what we learned from it, and drop it.  Do not get caught up in your failures.  Learn from them, and then grow from them. 

What will we do today?

"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand."

-Vince Lombardi

 

And now I ask all of you, as well as myself: what are we going to do today to bring us one step closer to our dream?

Placing your marbles.

Today I had a thought come across my mind that I would like to share.  When I talk about discussing our dreams, I want to add a word of caution.  It is so important that we discuss our dreams with others, as well as share our progress.  In a way it hold us responsible and an added pressure is placed upon us to help push us along.  Now here is the word of caution I would like to add: do not place all your marbles in one bunch.  If you get to the point where you are completely relying on someone else to make your dream come true, we have a problem.  I talk a lot about how we can eliminate putting ourselves in a position where we can make excuses.  This is a great example.

Be thankful for the progress made.

Alright, last post about the mental recovery process.  In the first post about mental recovery I gave you three steps.  Today I would like to focus a little more on the first step: find something that you can be happy with.

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."

-Oprah Winfrey

 

Today I challenge you to take two minutes out of your day and look back.  Look back to who you were and where you were when you first decided what you wanted to strive for.  Now look how much you have grown.  Maybe on a physical level you are stronger, faster, or lost weight.  Maybe on a mental/emotional/spiritual level you have developed a determination like never before.  Just look how much you have grown, and try to imagine how much more you will grow as you go through this journey.  I think you just may find a smile on your face at the end of this challenge.

Refocusing the dream.

Today will go right along with yesterdays post.  When we are evaluating our dream and the journey we are taking to get there, things may change over time.  We may lose or redirect our interest.  Life happens and we get busy, putting it on the side burner.  So many different things can happen, but today I want to focus on the aspect of losing interest.

In life we will experience so many different things and meet so many different people.  While going through these experiences and while meeting these people, we will gain new interests.  Some of these new interests may even get in the way or distract us from the goals and dreams we were already working on.  This is okay.  Dreams cannot be forced, they are something that grow inside us.  We just have to do a self evaluation and find what they are.  We all have them.

If your interest shifts, and you develop a new dream that you want to strive for, great!  Deciding to stop on a previous dream is okay, as long as we are still striving for something.  Don't let the world get to you and make you think you are a quitter.  It is going to be so much harder fighting for a dream that you lose interest in.  Do what makes you happy, not the world.

"The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one."

-Elbert Hubbard

Mental recovery.

In one of my last posts I mentioned the importance of stepping stone goals to help keep you on track for the big picture dream.  Along the way we have tests, trials, and all sorts of challenges or obstacles to get around; at times this may even seem like a cycle.  After accomplishing a stepping stone goal, or maybe even coming up a little short in some sort of challenge, we have to recover and get ready for what is yet to come.

In sports we know how important it is to recover after a race, game, or even an intense workout.  The recovery I want to talk about today is a mental recovery.  After any test, trial, or challenge, it is critical that we stop and evaluate a few things...

First, what went well? Always focus on the positive first.  If you cannot find a positive, dig and dig some more until you find something that you can be happy with.  Do not skip this step!  Second, pick one aspect that needs the most improvement.  The last thing you want to do here is make a giant list that will only disappoint you and destroy your motivation.  We take one thing at a time, and in turn, we are going to generate all of our upcoming focus on that one thing to improve on.  Last, make a game plan on how you plan to work on that one weakness.  Keep realistic expectations and stick to the plan.

"Win or lose, fast or slow, good or bad... it doesn't matter. This one is for me and my journey towards my dream. The results of today do not, and will not, represent my capability to accomplish what I have set my heart on. The results of today will merely update me on what areas I need to put more focus on."

-Tyler Nelson  

The Unexpected.

"When the unexpected comes, welcome it with open arms."

-Tyler Nelson

 

All of you who ran the Ogden Marathon (either the full, half, relay, or 5k), this was the case for today.  I don't know about all of you, but I did not expect the rain and cold to be as bad as it was.  Didn't quite hit the time I wanted, but due to the circumstance, I can't complain.  I think all of you who ran today can relate: we had to really dig deep to make it to that finish line. 

 

In life there are very few things that we have control of.  When these unexpected stumbling blocks come up, sometimes there is nothing we can do about it.  The only thing we can do is except the challenge with open arms.

 

Lastly, I want to extend a huge congratulations to all of you runners today, as well as all runners around the world.  You dug deep today, and you should all be extremely proud!!

You can't finish unless you start.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

-John Bingham

 

What is holding you back from starting?  Fear you won't be able to finish?  Fear of what others will say or think?  You think you don't have enough time?  We can come up with all the excuses in the world.  All I have to say is who cares what others think?  This is between you and you, no one else.  You don't have time?  Well go make time.  If you really want to achieve that dream, stop trying to find more excuses.

Where are you looking?

"Two-thirds of what we see is behind our eyes."

-Chinese Proverb

 

This is such a good saying when thinking about our approach to life or to our dreams.  First off, we get to choose the one-third of what we do see.  So what are you focusing on?  Where are you putting your attention and efforts?  Second off, just because we are not seeing something right off, doesn't mean it's not there.  The best example of this would be results.  Maybe someone is trying to lose weight.  When looking at the scale, maybe they are not getting the numbers they want to see, but what about how they are feeling?  We might start to believe that our health level is directly related to our weight and we get so narrow focused and narrow minded that we miss the whole picture.  Whatever you are striving for, remember that you can only see a small portion at one time.  So when you choose that portion, be careful and stay focused.  Also, remember that just because you don't see what you want to right off, doesn't mean it's not there.

Limits and fears?

"Never say never... because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."

-Michael Jordan

 

All sorts of distractions are going to come our way while on this quest to achieve our dream.  So much of it comes from how we are going to respond to those distractions.  A lot of times we let them get the best of us, we go into panic mode and don't know what to do.  If we can sit back, breathe, and take one challenge at a time, we can conquer anything that tries to stop us.  Now at the same time, it is wise to understand that some of these distractions will be easier to conquer than others, nevertheless, we can and will do it.

Look at every aspect of life.

"We make our surroundings, and then they make us."

-Winston Churchill

 

Again, today I would like to challenge all of us to take a minute and examine our own life.  We have to understand that every aspect of life can and will affect other aspects.  So when we are looking at what might affect our journey and attitude towards our dreams, we have to take a look at several things: who we associate with on a daily basis, the music we listen to, the books we read, or anything that might affect our attitude, motivation levels, and daily actions.  In my own life, if I can find the things that may cause stumbling blocks along the way and eliminate them as early as possible, then things tend to go much smoother and I can stay motivated to keep fighting for my dream.



No regrets

"If only... those must be the two saddest words in the world."

-Mercedes Lackey

 

When everything else is in place and we are driving forward, do not cut any corners.  We have to fight for every inch, and when all is said and done, if you do that, you will be successful.  True success comes when you can look yourself in the eye and know that you did everything you possibly could to prepare.  Do not put yourself in a position where you will look back and wonder what would have happened if you had done more.  

Goal setting

Now as we begin to realize how powerful a dream can really become, hopefully we are beginning to set goals to help us achieve that dream.  Better yet, hopefully we are beginning to act on those stepping stone goals and getting that much closer to the big picture.

Today I would like to talk about the process of setting those stepping stone goals to help you achieve your dream.  The most important thing I can say about this process is to be specific.  What I mean by that is make these stepping stone goals, as well as the big picture dream, measureable.  For those sports lovers out there, this can become a lot easier.  You can go off times, distances, scores, and so on.  But for someone who wants to get "healthy" or become more "happy" we will have a hard time recording progress.  Now these are amazing things to strive for, don't get me wrong.  There is just so much gray area that it can become easy to get discouraged and quit.

When reaching a stepping stone goal, the motivation that follows can be so powerful.  If we keep the big picture goal at "becoming healthier," we have to make sure to keep the stepping stone goals more specific.  This may include: lowering your cholesterol a certain number of points, striving to get your blood pressure two marks closer to what it should be at, or even losing an inch off the waist. This will help us keep track of our progress as well as keep our motivation up for when we hit those goals.

If we are not hitting our stepping stone goals, this will give us a wake up call to make some changes to get back on track.  This is so important to remember.  Sometimes we set a time on when we would like to reach one of our stepping stone goals.  I know with my running this is something I do all the time.  We have to focus on not getting discouraged if those goals are not met.  We have to keep our determination strong, make changes to stay disciplined, and just continue to drive forward. 

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."

-Yogi Berra

Lay everything on the line!

"When you take that field today, you've got to lay that heart on the line, men. From the souls of your feet, with every ounce of blood you've got in your body, lay it on the line until the final whistle blows. And if you do that... if you do that, we cannot lose. We may be behind on the scoreboard at the end of the game, but if you play like that we cannot be defeated."

-We Are Marshall

 

Someone asked me the other day, "Ty, will you explain the 'Drive' to me? That is the only one I don't really understand."  When explaining to her what I meant by The Drive, it really hit me how this step is by far the hardest step.  You see, when we have a dream, we have to create mini goals along the way.  We go through this process to reach that stepping stone goal, and then set the next goal and do it again.  You could almost compare it to shampooing your hair: Wet hair, wash, rinse, repeat.  But in this case, it is a cycle that can physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drain you.  If you let it.  Stay positive and push on.  A good friend of mine sent me a quote that fits perfectly with this.  So a big thank you to her!

 

"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will."

-Unknown



 

What we do on a daily basis!

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

-Aristotle

 

I would really like to touch on one of my favorite "D's" today: Daily (Ok, that is an invalid statement, I don't know if I could choose a favorite!)  I love this quote, because it really summarizes it up nicely.  If our dream is really that important to us, then not a day should go by that we do not think about it, let alone act on it.  Not a day should go by that we do not attempt to move that much closer to our dream! 

 

One of my favorite things to do to help me with the daily concept is to have a daily reminder.  It may be a sticky note that I read on the way out of my room every morning.  It may be a bracelet that I wear to constantly remind me.  It may be a reminder that will pop up on my phone.  I love these little reminders, because they always seem to pop up when I need them most.  I challenge you to find what works for you and stick to it.  There will be a day, probably several days, when you will really need it, and you will be thankful that you have it!

Do you want it bad enough?

After rereading the last few posts, I decided I had to follow up with one of my favorite stories.  Lately I have really enjoyed listening to Eric Thomas.  If you haven't heard of him, look him up.  As far as I know this story comes from him, so that is where I will give credit.  So a big thank you to him for everything he does for so many people!

There was a Young Man who wanted to make a lot of money and so he went to an Old Guru and said, "I want to be on the same level you are."

So the Guru says, "If you want to be on the same level I am, I'll meet you at the beach tomorrow morning. 4 AM."

The Young Man looking confused says, "The beach?? I don't wanna swim, I wanna make money!"

"4 AM."

 The Young Man gets to the beach at 4 AM, all ready to rock and roll, wearing a suit - should have wore shorts -  and the Old Guru walks up to great him and grabs his hand. He asks, "How bad do you want to be successful?"

The Young Man excited states, "Real bad!"

"Then walk out into the water."

So the Young Mann starts walking out into the water. About waist deep he starts thinking to himself 'This man must be crazy!', but he continues to walks out. "Hey I wanna make money and you got me out here swimming. I didn't ask to be a lifeguard. I wanna make money!"

The Guru looks at him and says, "Come out a little farther."

The Young Man walks out a little farther. The water is up to his throat. Now he's thinking 'This man is crazy, I mean -  he's makin' money, but he's crazy!', but he keeps walking out. The water is up to his mouth now and his mind is racing 'I'm about to go back in, this guy is out of his mind!', and he turns around.

The Old Guru yells to him and says, "I thought you wanted to be successful?"

"I do," says the Young Man.

"Then walk a little further."

So the Young Man starts to walk out a little farther and the Old Guru grabs his head and puts it under the water. He holds him down and I mean he has him held down. The Young Man is scratching and clawing at him. The Old Guru keeps holding him down. Holding him down. Then right as the Young Man is about to pass out, gently the Old Guru raises him up. The Guru looks at him and says, "I got a question for you... when you were under water, what did you want?"

"I wanted to breathe."

"Now when you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful." And with that the Old Guru released the Young Man and began walking to shore.

 

Such a simple concept but so powerful.  So many times in my life, I thought I wanted something... but I didn't really want it, I just thought I did.  Looking back I can understand that because things would come up: friends would call, I would get tired, I would get lazy.  When things came up, the thing that I thought I wanted most now became second.  We have to evaluate ourselves and ask ourselves how bad we really want it!  Then after verbally answering the question, go prove it to yourself!

The ultimate quote!

What a beautiful morning!!  Today I would like to share one of my favorite quotes with you:

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently, if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits. And not point fingers saying: You ain't what you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and that ain't you! You're better than that!" -Rocky Balboa

 

I absolutely love this statement.  I want you to notice towards the beginning when it says "if you let it."  Now I want you to read this again keeping the thought it the back of your mind that you have a choice.  That when you go through life, no matter what is thrown your way, you can choose how to react to it.  What I love so much about this statement is you can apply it to any aspect of life.  I am a runner and am always applying it to my workouts.  I strive to build a religious base, and when temptations and challenges enter my life, I strive to remember this statement.  I am a child of God, a son, a brother, a friend, and a student.  One day I will be a husband and a father.  No matter what is going on in life, you can find a way to apply this!

Try again!

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the actions steps,"

-Confucius

 

Ladies and gentlemen, we live in a day where giving up is becoming far too common, especially for the youth and the rising generation.  A lot of us are very blessed to live where we live, to have what we have, and so on.  Due to this, giving up on something has had smaller consequences.  Our children, as well as ourselves, have to overcome this problem before we are put into a position where we have no other choice. 

 

Now when looking at a dream, something that in some cases may not be demanding but instead merely a desire, it can be so easy to quit.  This is largely due to the fact that the only consequence may be self-disappointment.  We start getting thoughts in our heads thinking that it is okay to give up because it is only going to hurt ourselves and no one else.  Now although this may be true, it could easily be argued that emotional self-inflicted pain is by far more destructive.  Why don't we look around in our own communities and listen to the suicide rates continue to rise.  We, as a world, have enough diversity and peer pressure that this problem is already rising.  The last thing we need is to lose characteristics in life such a self-determination and self-discipline.

 

How can we do this?  Lets be the example, for our children and our peers.  When things don't go right, let us step back and take a new approach instead of just quitting.  I hope that I myself can become a better example for those who may be watching, and it is my prayer that you will strive to do the same. 

 

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."

-Jimmy Dean

Find that friend!

It is so important to find that friend that you can talk to, who will take you serious and understands your passion.  Keep in touch with them and let them know how you are doing.  In return, try to be that person for someone else.  I am so grateful to have so many good friends in my life who understand what I am striving for.  I just want to share a quote I got the other day from a good friend.  Thanks!!

 

"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage - pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically - to say 'no' to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside." -Stephen Covey

What if my dream isn't plausible?

To that question, all I can say is "yeah, so what??"  From the movie The Pursuit of Happyness Will Smith has a great quote:

"You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period."

 

Growing up I can always remember hearing the statistic that the chances of playing a professional sport are 0.03 percent.  So I did a little research this morning and this is what I found:

 

There are 450 players in the NBA

There are 1,696 players in the NFL

There are 1,280 players in the MLB

 

That is a total of 3,426 players in only three sports!  That isn't even counting the minor leagues or the countless other sports.  That right there is 3,426 people who decided to ignore that statistic and say "yeah, so what??"

 

The power of a dream comes from that fact that even if you do not reach that final end goal, you will still gain something from the journey.  How else do you plan on learning the concept of determination, discipline, and standing up for what you believe in??