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Ask For More

February 13, 2013 By
The Way I See It - Starbucks Cup

Photo Courtesy of Linda Lane.

Want more from life? All you have to do is ask. Ask more of yourself and set your expectations higher. You might call this setting a goal but I think in this is a bit different. This is expecting more out of yourself.

Things will never just come to you. You have to want them, expect them, and believe that they are going to come to you. Napoleon Hill says that “No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.” In other words, you have to have the confidence in yourself.

Whether it is money, fame, or the desire to change the world it all starts with asking yourself for more. I close with this poem by Jessie B. Rittenhouse (from the book “The Door of Dreams”, 1918).

My Wage
“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.”

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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Make the Call

February 6, 2013 By
Last Call

Photo Courtesy of eefeewahfah

You have to decide. Right now you must make the decision to decide. Decide what exactly? Well, what decision have you been putting off?

Everyone has to make choices and decisions. The important point is actually making them. We have all put a decision off and then proceed to make excuses as to why we can’t make a choice right now. The longer you put off a decision the harder it becomes to make — you must make the call.

Dan Miller suggests giving yourself a timeline. Give yourself a few days on the important decisions, consult those you need to get input from, and you make the call. You put a date on the decision and when the day comes you make it – no excuses.

Or you can try the Dave Ramsey way. Think about the worst possible outcome that your decision can have. Can you live with it? If so, then go. Many times the worst case scenario is not as bad as we imagined it once we actually think about it.

We all have hard decisions to make from time to time. The important thing is to make them.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Organization Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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Treat People Well

January 30, 2013 By
All Are Significant

Image Credit: Studio JRU

“You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place on the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” Walt Disney

You need people.  You can call yourself a loner or say you don’t like people but we all need each other.  You need someone to hire you for a job or you need someone to buy your product if you are running your own business.  We are all connected in one way or another and we should treat each other well.

Next time you are in line at the supermarket during a busy holiday instead of getting frustrated at the lines and people take a minute to thank the clerk.  For that matter, thank the people around you in line for the few minutes you spent together – it might seem odd but you can brighten their day and you will be the person they are telling their family about when they get home!

It all comes down to the fact as humans we need interaction and connection.  Treat people well.

 

Filed Under: Customer Service, Leadership, Life Coaching, People Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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Are You In Jail?

January 23, 2013 By
Are you in jail?

Photo Courtesy of Michael Coghlan

A person doesn’t have to be behind bars to be in jail.  Your jail can be in your own mind.  This is something I learned from Iyanla Vanzant.

When you feel stuck in a situation you always have options.  Take a few minutes to write down what your options are and which one is the key to unlock the cell.  It will not always be an easy key to turn but, in the long run, it can set you free.

Don’t allow your limiting beliefs to hold you back.  Push forward, turn the key, and release yourself.

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational Tagged With: , ,
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Your Past Does Not Dictate Your Future

January 16, 2013 By

So many people seem to think that their past defines everything about their future.  This is simply a myth.  While I will say that your past has helped shape you it should never define you.

Have you noticed when you see one person who says that their life sucks they do things that cause this (they spend money they can’t afford, complain about everything, drive people away, etc)?  And then you have the other person who says that life is great and they seem to have everything in order (good relationships, savings, friends, etc)?

The human brain is a remarkable thing.  It provides you with the answers and reasoning you are searching for whether right or wrong.  Your life might be great when other people look at it but when you continue to tell yourself you have the worst luck and a bad life then your brain starts to provide you with how you have the worst luck and what you are doing wrong in your life.

If you want to change you can.  Will you?

 

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , , ,
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Nobody ‘Always’ or ‘Nevers’

January 9, 2013 By
Lao Tzu Quote

Posted on Facebook by Positive Outlooks

You hear people saying “I never get the chance to _______________.” Or, “I always ___________.”  I think these are destructive phrases and simply are not true.

Your mind has a way of making things come true that you think about.  We are wired this way.  If you constantly think “I always have to clean up my co-workers mess” then your brain will find examples of this and you start believing it.  But how true is this really?

Same thing with “I never” such as “I never get to do the fun stuff.”  Say it to yourself long enough your brain puts into play examples of how you “never” get to do what you want to do.

Next time you find yourself saying these two phrases stop yourself.  Think about what you are saying and correct your mind.  Write down 5 times that you have gotten to do the fun thing or 5 times that you didn’t have to cleanup another mess.  You’ll realize while these things may happen often it is a long way from never or always.

 

 

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , ,
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Book Review: 100 Days of a New Year by Jennifer Tankersley

January 7, 2013 By

100 Days of a New YearJennifer has once again provided an excellent resource to those who want to stay on track and stay motivated for the first 100 days of the year.  In her most recent edition, Jennifer takes you day by day from January 1-April 23.

This edition is setup like the other two that I have written reviews about.  It comes with 75 downloadable planning pages to help you stay on track.  You are provided with an activity each day to help navigate and organize your life (except for Saturday – that’s catch up day!).

The book is in PDF format which allows you to read on your computer, tablet, or print it out and put into a three ring binder as recommended.

What I enjoy most in each release are the different activities.  Many times they are things that you have thought of but put off or activities which give you that “I haven’t thought of that” a-ha moment.  A new version comes out each year and I do like going through and seeing what is new.

You can purchase this ebook directly from ListPlanIt for five dollars.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching, Organization Tagged With: , , , , ,
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You Are What You Say You Are

November 21, 2012 By
Main Street at Magic Kingdom

When you are a child you are always saying that you are a singer, movie star, or princess. Why do we lose this as adults and start focusing on the negative?

A lot has been written about this and I often wonder how many people pay attention and see how it really does effect their life.  What am I speaking of?  The story you tell yourself.

When you say you are something you tend to become it.  Those that say they are poor tend to be without money.  Why?  Because you head in the direction in which you focus.  If you focus on being poor you will stay poor.  Focus on having money and taking care of your money I know you will have it.  It may not be today or three months from now but try getting up every morning and instead of being broke to the point of being broken change your story.  Tell yourself that you are rich and say out loud the things that you have that make you rich.  Do you have a partner?  Children? A job? A home?

Why is it that as humans we have a hard time telling a good story when we as individuals are the subject?    Instead of “I failed” why not “I learned what not to do”?  When someone asks how you are doing why not respond with “Grateful for another day.”

Zig Ziglar says “A failure is an event not a person.”  Even the great motivator has spoken about it for decades.  The story you tell yourself is a major force in directing your life.  Saying “I am a failure” points you in the direction of failing.  When someone says “How are you?” and you respond with “Worn out”  it makes you fell more tired than before you said it (I am guilty of this).

A lot of people have talked about this but one of the more recent is Pastor Joel Osteen.  I have included his “The Power of ‘I Am'” sermon below.  Take the time and watch through it and take notes:

Filed Under: Life Coaching, Motivational, People Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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I Don’t Have Time To Exercise

September 23, 2012 By
Plank

Photo courtesy of Hector Alejandro.

Many say they do not have time to exercise (among other things). I will admit that this has been one of my faults in the past. There was always something else that was “more important” at the time. However, last week something came to mind out of nowhere when I was getting ready for work.

I started doing some math and figured if you exercise three times per week for 30 minutes each day that equals 78 hours which is 3.25  days per year.  If you exercise from the age of 18 until age 70 at the three day/30 minute interval that equals 169 days.

A doctor I saw a few years ago told me if I did not drop some weight I could take 20 years off of my life.  So the realization that popped in my head that morning is that by not exercising for those 169 days I could possibly lose 7,300 days via an early death by a controllable factor.  I prefer to choose the exercise over the other outcome!

Of course, the numbers are different depending on what age you start your workouts and hopefully you’ll never be in a condition where you need to stop.  Imagine being one of the people you see on television that are running marathons in their 90s!

 

Filed Under: Fitness, Life Coaching, Time Management Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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Remarkable

March 17, 2012 By

Dare To Be RemarkableDictionary.com defines remarkable as “worthy of notice or attention.”  Have you been remarkable today?

Sometimes it is hard to be noticed.  With so much information flowing into our minds every minute of every day from television to internet to your smart phone, there is a constant barrage of content and information coming at us.  How can you stand out?  Look within yourself.

Look inside of you and see what you can do today, tomorrow, a week from now to stand out of the crowd and be remarkable.  As Dan Miller would say, find your values, dreams, and passions.  Take those three things and stand out and be noticed.

Chris LoCurto posted the below video on his blog and I thought it would inspire you.  Go ahead, be remarkable.


Jane Dentry image from FridgeDoor.com

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , ,
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Make A Decision

March 7, 2012 By

decisionsHave you ever needed to make a decision but felt like you were frozen?  I think we have all been in this situation at one time or another.  The thing you have to keep in mind is “I have to move forward.”  Not moving forward and standing still is when you are left behind.

Imagine crossing the road and right there in the center you see a hundred dollar bill.  Coming up the road is a string of cars and they are coming very fast.  Now, you freeze trying to decide whether you have time to pick up the money.  The lack of decision has caused you to be hit by a car and the rest of the vehicles to be in a massive pileup.

Yes, I know, this is an extreme example but you can fit it into almost anything in your life.  What chain of consequences are there if you freeze from any given decision you have to make?

Dan Miller suggests you put a time frame on making a decision.  If you need to make a decision today then set a deadline and make it.  If it can wait two weeks then mark the date on the calendar and you must have a decision by that date.  Two weeks should be plenty of time to make 99% of your decisions and I believe most should be made within a few days.

At any rate, do not let yourself freeze about a decision.  Write down what you are deciding on, write down your options, and rank them.  Choose which one has to be made or which one is best if you have several options and then keep moving forward.

Photo Credit: Scott McLeod

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , ,
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30 Days

February 15, 2012 By

30 Days with Morgan SpurlockIt is often said it takes 21 says to form or break a habit. I am not sure how true this is but that is about right for me. If I keep doing something each day somewhere between 21-30 days it starts being routine. Many people want to start or stop habits but think it will be hard or take a lot of time. It may very well be hard if you are curbing an addiction or trying to exercise daily when you have never done it in your life but you have to start the journey.

Morgan Spurlock did his show “30 Days” where he placed himself or another willing participant in a situation for, you guessed it, 30 days.  There were 18 episodes in the original run from 2005-2008 (source: IMDB).  If memory serves, those 30 days were always an eye opener for the participant and those around them and many good things seem to come out of the days they spent together.

Imagine if you looked within yourself and decided to do one thing you always wanted to do and committed to doing it for 30 days.  Would it change your life?  Better yet, would it hurt you in any way?  I ask the hurt question because if the answer is a resounding ‘no’ that it wouldn’t hurt and you could commit the time for a 30 day span then why not try it?

This article was completely inspired by a TEDTalk I ran across a few days ago that was given in 2011 by Matt Cutts.  It is only 3 1/2 minutes and I encourage you to give it a brief watch and see if it inspires you to try something new for just 30 days.


Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching Tagged With: , , , , ,
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Are You Rich?

January 13, 2012 By

It is an often used cliche but just because you are not wealthy does not mean you are not rich.  Richness has to do with things in your life and not necessarily material possessions.  One of the definitions of rich is “of great value” (ref).  Check out “10 Ways to be Rich Without being Wealthy” by Kevin at Out of Your Rut.

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New Year’s Eve 2011

December 31, 2011 By

Happy New YearIs it really that time again?

A lot of people will set their resolutions this weekend on how they are going to be better or improve their life next year.  I hope you have already set your goals and you are prepared for what the new beginning has in store for you.

A new year is not the only time to make changes in your life.  Review your goals throughout the year so you can recommit to them.  Many resolutions never get completed and that is because they are out of sight out of mind.  Review your resolutions/goals/wants regularly and achieve what you are looking to achieve.

Here is hoping that 2012 brings the happiness and purpose you want in your life and we will see you next year!

Filed Under: Goal Setting, Life Coaching, Time Management Tagged With: , , , ,
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Thanksgiving 2011

November 26, 2011 By
Thanksgiving Dinner

Photo Courtesy of Buxtrosion

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Take a moment to reflect on the holiday and what made you feel good that day.  Even if you had a not so great day or had to be at work pick out one or two things that made you happy that day.

 

Filed Under: Life Coaching Tagged With: , , ,