Monday Motivation - The Challenge....

The challenge…

Sometimes it appears to be something you clearly lack.  The question you were presented was simply unanswerable, the wall too high to climb, the rock too heavy to move.

Sometimes it takes the form of your history, your heredity or your bad luck – something completely out of your control that keeps from achieving as you hoped.

Sometimes it takes human form, morphing into that person you wish would support you but does not.  That person upon whom you rely only to be disappointed again… and again…and again.

Sometimes it manifests as weakness, pain or lack of stamina – the reason your body can go no further when you mind is willing.

Its real form is not your lack of talent or luck or support or physical gifts.  Its real form is your belief of lack thereof.  Where there is a way, the believer finds it.  Her relentlessness finds answers, her preparedness creates “good luck,” her passion attracts support, and her determination pushes through the pain.

You have everything you need to be successful….if you believe you should be…

Say It Loud

I am big believer in speaking my goals out loud.  I believe speaking your goals will help you speak them into existence. Say it loud!

When you speak your goals and not just think them, you become accountable. You have to own your goals and all of their consequences. You can't later decide you were "just kidding" or you didn't really want to do that.  You now have to answer the questions and give the progress reports to those you told.  If you stop pushing, you have to answer the question "why?"  You will have to face the shame of failing publicly.  That alone will motivate you to keep pushing until you get what you seek.  Say it loud!

Saying it loud has gotten me in trouble more than once.  You see, sometimes the people around you just don't want to hear it.  You may find out that the people around don't want you to do well.  Or maybe they do want you to do well, just a little less well than they do.  They may tell you there is something wrong with you or with your goal.  So what?  Say it loud!

Too many of us go "underground" with our goals.  We figure that if we don't tell anyone, we won't be embarrassed if we fail.  But here's the problem with that sort of secrecy.  You can't achieve anything great secretly.  It just doesn't work that way.  You can't good from hiding in the shadows playing in front of packed stadiums.  If you want to shine, first, you must take the stage.

Don't be afraid.  Say it loud!

Monday Motivation - True Power

True power is not the ability to lift large objects overhead with your muscles.

True power is not the ability to bend spoons with your mind      

True power is not the ability to make people ask “how high” when you say “Jump.”

True power is the knowledge that you are the one and only author of your fate.  True power is the knowledge that today, right this minute, you will build your future.  Right this second, you will decide whether you will travel a road to greatness or stay stuck in the same old rut. 

Because we are all a product of our past decisions, our past choices – and no one else’s.  Our fate is not determined by our genetics, our upbringing, our bad luck or the nefarious wishes of nameless, faceless “They.”  True power is the knowledge that there is no one to blame. 

Understanding this fact makes you powerful.  Understanding this means that all the bad decisions you have made in the past are irrelevant, because you can make a different decision this day.  You can change everything right now.  You can be “brand new” and it’s all within your power.  You are all-powerful!

If you believe…

Believe! 

"Alright" or "That Ain't Right?" - Flying Overweight

Last year, actor Kevin Smith was removed from a Southwest Airlines plane essentially because he was overweight.  Alright or That Ain’t Right?

Alright.  It is simply a matter of fairness.  When I fly, I pay for 100% of a seat.  It is not fair to me to only receive 80% of one because the person next to me is too large to fit in theirs.  When you go to the grocery store, if you place two items in your cart, you will be charged for two items.  With airlines, the seat is the item.  If you consume two, pay for two and if two are not available, you are out of luck.  It’s that simple.

That Ain’t Right!  It is a clear case of discrimination.  I don’t see airlines picking on anyone else who may consume more than their fair share of space.  When is the last time you heard someone removed from a plane because they were too tall?  But try sitting next to someone who is 6’ 5” and you will likely find that their arms, legs and shoulders will be in your personal space.  And how is overweight defined?  It is 250, 300, 350 pounds?  Will there be a scale in the jet way?  This is simply a case of a company (the airlines in this case) picking on a group that has no political advocate.  There is no March on Washington for "Fat Rights."

Sound off.  Is it "Alright" or "That Ain’t Right?"

The Only Trophies That Matter

By professional athlete standards, at 41, I am past my athletic prime.  I will never win a professional sports championship or hoist “the big trophy” over my head, but that does not mean that I am not a competitor.  Truth be told, I chase (and win) a trophy almost every single day.  My trophies will not make me rich and famous.  In fact, most often I win my trophies in total solitude and anonymity.  And yet, these are the only trophies that matter to me.    

I value this trophy so much that I have chased it in dozens, if not, hundreds of different cities and a handful of different countries.  I have chased this trophy at literally all times of the day and night.  As a matter of fact, as I write this, I am mentally preparing to claim my prize one more time.  And yet once, I earn my trophy, I toss it away like an angler in a catch-and-release tournament.  It is everything and nothing at all. 

This trophy is so meaningful to me because it can only be earned, not bought.  There is no way to cheat your way to it.  Some days, my trophy is the only thing I win and other days it is the start of day long winning streak.  At times, it brings solace and gives meaning to an otherwise meaningless day.  It signifies sacrifice and perseverance - the pride of accomplishment.

My trophy is a sweat soaked T-shirt.