World Drive - Learning to Drive My World
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My final selection for Music May is “The World’s Greatest” by R. Kelley. The message is clear to me – think of yourself as the greatest. A lot of people put themselves down or don’t think of themselves at all. Take the time to think about how you impact those around you in a good way. Everyone does this for at least one person; most people impact many daily.
Thanks for joining me for Music May 2014!
This is a song that can get you re-motivated when it feels like an obstacle is standing in your way. The opening lyrics speak for themselves. I hope this song can give you some inspiration and insight that we all have to deal with mountains but just think of what you can see when you climb and reach the peak!
I can almost see it.
That dream I’m dreaming, but
There’s a voice inside my head saying
You’ll never reach it
Every step I’m takin’
Every move I make
Feels lost with no direction,
My faith is shakin’
But I, I gotta keep tryin’
Gotta keep my head held highThere’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other side
It’s the climb
Selection two for Music May is “Brave” by Sara Bareilles. It is a song about what we are all capable of doing with our words. Sometimes we just need to say something to be understood.
What would happen if you say what you want to say and let the words fall out?
The music we listen to is the soundtrack of our lives. The music on our devices can tell how we are feeling at any given moment. I have a playlist called “Motivational and Upbeat” that gives me easy access to the music that helps to get me going. For the month of May I am going to do “Music May” and I will share with you a few songs that generally stay on this playlist.
The first selection:
Photo Courtesy of James Russo
The new beginning starts today. Hopefully you have already set your goals for 2014 and are ready to bring them to life. I hope you make 2014 your best year yet!
Photo Courtesy of NASA.
One small step. We all know those words. From science class in school to soundbites on TV, most of us have heard those three words dozens of times. Although we have heard them I do not think enough people live them.
Each step you take to your ultimate dream should be celebrated. It is a victory that puts you just a little closer to where you want to be. Even something most people would deem as a failure should be celebrated if it made you go in another direction. Why? It gave you a directional change which helps lead you to your goals. You cannot reach your goal if you are going down the wrong path and “failures” are what tell us something isn’t right.
Take some time at the end of every day and celebrate every victory you had that day. Doesn’t matter how small you think they are – they all count.
One small step to change your life. One small step to live your dreams. One small step is all it takes to begin. One small step.
It may seem early to you that I am already talking about resolutions. However, right now is the time you should be setting your goals for at least the first three months of 2014 and have a pretty good idea of what your major goals are for the year.
That being said I think it is time a lot of people give up a big habit. It isn’t smoking or dieting. I believe it is time to give up the resolutions and move on to creating breakthroughs and goals. You have heard but it’s time to really start setting goals and letting the resolutions fall by the wayside.
Studies show that 88% of people drop their resolutions by the end of January. These big plans we have for ourselves and they only survive for four weeks? I think there is something going on here. That something is no real plan or target.
In order to succeed at something you have to have a specific measurable goal to shoot for. Zig Ziglar said it best when he talked about the best archer in the world can’t hit the target blind folded. In order to accomplish anything you have to know exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Once you get this anything is truly possible!
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If you haven’t heard yet you can check out my new program called New Year New Me! It is to help out with turning your resolutions into goals and doing it with liked minded people through teleseminars, one on one coaching, and group mastermind calls. For more information you can visit http://www.newyearnew.me
Photo Courtesy of Marcin Wichary.
There are very few things that you have to do in life. You have to eat, drink, and take care of yourself in order to survive but other than that there really isn’t anything that you have to do.
With that, why do you go to work? Is it because you enjoy it or because you need a pay check? If the answer is because you need a check I think you might need to look a little deeper as to the reason you go.
I am an advocate of doing work that you love. There really needs to be more of a reason to go to work than just to trade your time for money. You should enjoy what you do and find deeper meaning in going to work. If you don’t then it may be time to look for another line of work.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” Martin Luther King Jr.
You have the choice to go to a job you hate tomorrow or to look for another job. If you do not enjoy your current employment then come up with an exit plan over the next 60 days. Put in applications, make phone calls and once you secure a job doing something you find meaning put in your notice and go do good work that matters to you.
Question: What is something that gives your current job meaning?
Photo Courtesy of Walt Stoneburner
Sometimes life can bury you under trials and tribulations (or Tribbles if you are a Trekker). You feel like there is no direction you can turn where a problem doesn’t sit in the middle of your path. What can you do when this happens? Redraw your map.
When a lot of stuff is going on first thing you need to do is breathe. Sit back and relax. This might be a real good time to learn how to meditate if you don’t already do it. You have to do this first and get a grip on your emotions. Until this happens you can’t go any further.
Once you have gotten a bit relaxed determine what your elephant is. What is the biggest out of all the problems? Once you have decided what this is for you write down what you can do today to take steps to getting that elephant back into the wild. While you may not be able to fix this problem on day one taking at least a small step will allow you a bit more breathing room. Each time you get closer to eliminating it the better you will feel.
Once you have done at least one step towards the big problem do the same thing with all of the smaller ones. Anything you can eliminate today, such as calling and making that apology you know you need to offer, making that doctor’s appointment for the physical you dread, or making a big financial decision, just go ahead and get it over with. You will feel better, have one less thing that you need to deal with, and can focus your energy on everything else.
Now that you have taken some steps make it a point to make small steps each day until the overwhelming feeling is gone. If you really put some effort forward it shouldn’t take long for you to have a bit more wiggle room. And while this is a simplistic process that will not work for everyone, most people can eliminate quite a bit by doing this. Give it a shot and see how it works for you.
Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom
Why do some people make changes in their lives while others don’t? One of the key reasons is those that change can see the change in their mind before it happens. If there is something you want you have to see that you already have it in your imagination.
Want to own a restaurant? See it in your mind so vividly that you can see the menu and smell the food. See the layout of your place and the guests sitting in at their table enjoying their food. Revisit this in your mind over and over to where it becomes so real for you that you. When you do this opportunities show up and when you grab them your dreams become realities.
One of the most notable imaginations of the 1900s was Walt Disney. In the book “How to Be Like Walt” Pat Williams says this on page 84:
Though Walt envisioned Walt Disney World in Florida, he died before it was built. On opening day in 1971, almost five years after his death, someone commented to Mike Vance, creative director of Walt Disney Studios,”Isn’t it to bad Walt Disney didn’t live to see this?”
“He did see it,” Vance replied simply. “That’s why it’s here.”
See yourself where you want to be and take the journey as life allows you. It may take some time but you can get there.
Professional wrestler Jason Kincaid on top of the world doing a handstand overlooking a deep gorge. Photo by Will Trotter. Used with permission.
This week I wanted to share a small piece from the book “I Dare You” by William H. Danforth. I hope it means something to you.
I loved it the first time I heard these lines. We were digging through a bin of books and came across a small leather-bound red one with “I Dare You” in silver ink on the cover. I dare you, after reading this, to go do amazing things for other people.
I DARE YOU!
IT IS DIFFICULT to put a challenge on paper. I would rather look you straight in the eye and say, “I dare you!” In my mind that’s exactly what I am doing. I am on one side of a table. You are on the other. I am looking across and saying “I dare you!”
I Dare You, young man, you who come from a home of poverty—I dare you to have the qualities of a Lincoln.
I Dare You, heir of wealth and proud ancestry, with your generations of worthy stock, your traditions of leadership—I dare you to achieve something that will make the future point to you with even more pride than the present is pointing to those who have gone before you.
I Dare You, young mother, to make your life a masterpiece upon which that little family of yours can build. Strong women bring forth strong men.
I Dare You. boys and girls, to make life obey you, not you it. It is only a shallow dare to do the foolish things. I dare you to do the uplifting, courageous things.
I Dare You, young executive, to shoulder more responsibility joyously, to launch out into the deep, to build magnificently.
I Dare You, young author, to win the Nobel prize.
I Dare You, young researcher, to become a Microbe Hunter.
I Dare You, boy on the farm, to become a Master Farmer—A Hunger Fighter.
I Dare You, man of affairs, to have a “Magnificent Obsession.”
I Dare You, Grandfather, with your roots deep in the soil and your head above the crowd, catching the rays of the sun, to plan a daring program to crown the years of your life.
I Dare You, who think life is humdrum, to become involved. I dare you who are weak to be strong; you who are dull to be sparkling; you who are slaves to be kings.
I Dare You, whoever you are, to share with others the fruits of your daring. Catch a passion for helping others and a richer life will come back to you!
William H Danforth
Image courtesy of Dreamfish.
You can only control yourself. No matter how much you want to change other people you have no control over them – you are not their keeper. But if you really want to change the world look within yourself. I can’t say it any better than this:
“When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But it too seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me. But alas they would have none of it. And now as I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement I would have been able to better my country and who knows, I might have even changed the world.”
Photo courtesy of torbakhopper.
What impact do you have on people in your day to day life?
Think about it for a second. You directly and indirectly influence, in some way, hundreds if not thousands of people’s lives each and every day. It doesn’t matter what you do assuming you leave the house or pick up the phone.
Take for example the server in the picture. He is providing a meal to the patrons which gives them the energy to go out and impact their hundreds of lives. By working in the restaurant he providing a service to a paying customer which provides a job to cooks, cashiers, dish washers, and in the end turns a profit for the owner. By working, the server is also providing a life for himself and possibly a family which in turn impacts more people. This is a very shortened example and we could go on and on how this one server being a host to this one table alone has an effect on hundreds of people.
Now, I ask the question again, what impact do you have on people your day to day life? Are you in a drive thru window handing out food? If so, congratulations. You are providing meal time with that family, helping a single mom who is working two jobs do one less thing that night, and you are impacting everyone you are working with.
Be proud of the impact you make and stand tall – you helped a lot of people today.
Recently I ran across a YouTube video that had a young man, Kristian Anderson, doing a video for his wife’s surprise birthday party. It was an emotional video by itself. Mention the fact that Kristian had terminal cancer when he filmed it and it takes on a whole new level.
After the video I picked up a copy of his book (see the review here) about his journey. His willingness to share about the condition and what he was going through was inspirational and can give hope to many others in similar situations.
In the book Kristian talks about going to the pharmacy and standing in line where a woman recognized him because he was on “Oprah” some time before. Let me put in his own words:
“I arrived at the pharmacy and as I am standing in line a young woman approached me and, with an accent, proceeded to very timidly ask if I was “from Oprah”. I told her that I was and she smiled an enormous smile. She told me she had multiple sclerosis and that for a long time she had been battling serious depression. She told me that after seeing our story on the Oprah show she was so deeply moved and encouraged… and her depression left her. She then thanked me for my courage and for helping her… told me that without me she would still be suffering depression.” (link)
Kristian was battling cancer which is a horrid disease yet there was some light that he was able to shed for other people. If we can spread inspiration in front of adversity then why can’t we do it when times are good?
Some time in the next seven days find a way to spread some light into someone’s life who is having a rough time. Take them dinner, talk to them, or give them an inspiring book – just do something to shed some light.
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.”
World Drive is my place to write about breakthroughs, strategies, and motivation while learning how to drive my own world.
I'll share inspirational and motivational things I find along the way. I will include just day to day thoughts and random posts as well the keep it interesting.
Thank you for taking a little time to read here. I hope in some way it helps you drive your world.
