Words of Wisdom from Eminem

To paraphrase Eminem: "Will the real (insert your name here) please stand up."

How many times have we caught our self acting in a way that in contradictory to the person we are capable of being. We have to reach a point where we finally say "enough is enough" and start acting like person who we know that we can be. Until we are dissatisfied with our behavior, we are going to do nothing to change it. If we know that we can do better, then we need to challenge ourselves and make changes. We can start small, we don't need to change the whole world at once. I sometimes struggle with this, I want to change everything at one time and of then of course, nothing changes. One thing at a time. I am a big fan of making lists to remind myself of my goals, my chosen habits, and my values. We need to constantly remind ourselves of these things. If not, we will be easily influenced by society and the media which is not good.

Let's challenge ourselves today to start acting and behaving the way we know we are capable of. Let's stop saying "Someday I'm going to change." Someday is today. Someday is right now. We are only on this earth for a short time, so let's commit to excellence.

Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the incandescent electric light bulb. Don’t worry if you fail once.

Whenever we think to ourselves that we have tried everything to solve a problem or achieve something, that is a lie. We have not tried everything. The more ways we try and do something, the better. If we fail, we have an education on what does not work. I was thinking about the quitting smoking process that I went through. I tried and fail hundreds of times to quit, and always went back until I was finally successful. If one plan does not work, we need to simply change our approach and not quit. Losers quit, and we are not losers.

So let's remember today that because we try something a few times and it doesn't work, that does not mean that we'll never achieve the particular outcome that we want. Sometimes a little persistence is all we need. Very often it is a numbers game. The more we play, the better we get. It reminds me of when I used to play video games. I would play a game so many times I eventually mastered the game. Same as life. But the key is to keep playing, just like Edison.

Every Artist Was First An Amateur.

quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Very often we look at actors, artists, athletes, musicians, business people, or anybody who has excelled at anything, and we think to ourselves how great they are or how lucky they are. We look at them in awe. But we forget the thousands and thousands of hours of practice that these people went through to get to where they are at now. We see the finished product, but we don't see the blood, sweat and tears. We don't see all the creative thought, visualizing, planning, goal setting, meditation, discipline, sacrifice, and dedication that these people experienced to get to where they are at now.

Mastery takes time, but it is possible. The truth is, the same greatness that anybody has experienced or achieved is also available to any of us if we would only take the time to study these people, do what they have done, think how they think, and not quit. Tony Robbins calls this mirroring and matching. Let's not forget that we can master anything we so desire.

Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone.

quote by Neale Donald Walsch

When I think back on my life, some of my greatest memories were times when I was doing something that was a little scary (starting a business, relocating, quitting smoking, etc). Must of us have things we want to do with our lives, dreams we want to make happen, and goals to accomplish. Most likely, there is going to be discomfort in doing these things. We must take action. We must work to become comfortable with discomfort. This is the only way we can grow. When was the last time we had butterflies in our stomach because we were about to do something that we were a little uncomfortable with? Those butterflies are a good thing. Chances are when we look back on our life we will remember those moments more then our "playing it safe and sound at home watching TV" moments.

Living a comfortable life is OK for some people, but for those of us who desire something greater, we need go beyond this. Let's push ourselves to take action today.

"Some Will. Some Wont. So What. Someones Waiting." - Jack Canfield

There is another version of this quote which is as follows: Some will, some wont, so what, next!

This quote can apply to a lot of aspects of our lives. Certainly if we are in sales it applies. Selling is a numbers game. If one person we present an offer to blows us off, so what. Next! We need to remember that not everybody is going to be on our team, so to speak. If we are selling ourselves, whether that would be in the dating world or the business world, some people are going to buy our product, and some people will not. Who really cares if one person is not going to buy from us, invest in our business, go on a date with us, etc. There are too many other people out there who are waiting for us who would be on board with us. But we must remember that we have to ask. We have to show up. Like Woody Allen says: "80% of success in life is simply showing up." We have to put the work in and put the best available product on the market.

Let's remember today the word "Next." There will always be another person, job, business, opportunity right around the corner. If one situation isn't working out, move on.

Today's Blog Topic: Vince Lombardi's Time Principle

Vince Lombardi, the great coach of the Green Bay Packers, invented a concept called: "Lombardi Time." This simply means showing up ten minutes early for an appointment, for work, for a meeting, etc. I believe that this is an awesome part of a code of ethics we all should strive to adapt in our lives. If we say that we are going to do something, we need to honor our word and do it. Period. There are no ifs, ands or buts. We need to be true to our word. Our word should be treated like gold. The truly mature person is one who respects other people and treats them the way they would like to be treated.

The Lombardi Time Principle is something that we all can adapt immediately in all aspects of our lives. What an awesome feeling knowing that we can be counted on. We will then in turn attract rock solid people into our lives who we can also count on. This is just another aspect of becoming an outstanding human being, something we all should be striving to do daily.

"In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it."

quote by Robert Heinlein, American Novelist

I believe that it is vitally important that we should develop the habit of writing out our goals daily and reviewing them as often as possible. At the very least twice a day: first thing in the morning and right before bed. This will direct our mind towards the things that we want to accomplish. I'm a big fan of the 3x5 note cards. I write down quotes, affirmations, and goals on these cards and I read them as often as I can. Repetition deepens the impression.

Without doing this, as the quote says we will get sidetracked. The "daily trivia" could be lots of things, but I think if we know in our heart that we are wasting time, then I believe that we should make efforts the correct our behavior and spend more time on our goals. One of my fundamental beliefs is we should read and study as much as possible in the areas that we want to excel in. This is a good place to start.

If we are going to live this life, why not life to the fullest? Why not strive to become better everyday in all of our affairs? Let's strive today to get as much out of our time here on earth as possible.

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.

quote by Tony Robbins

Everybody makes decisions every single day of their lives whether we realize it or not. If we have made a decision to do nothing, we have still made a decision. We come to those forks in the road where we need to make a decision to go down one road or another, but very often we do not realize the impact that these decisions will have years down the road in our lives. We need to ask ourselves: what am I trying to accomplish long term? What are my dreams and goals? What will it mean if I start this business? How am I going to feel about myself if I stop eating badly and get my body looking fabulous? Maybe I should start dating this person/maybe I should leave this particular relationship. Is this what I really want?

The real meaning of decision is: "to cut off from any other possibility." We should gain confidence in knowing that once we have made a decision, that's it. We need to burn our bridges and commit to that decision. Everyday is our day. Every decision is going to have an effect on our lives, positive or negative. The decision is ours.

Today's Blog Topic: The Power of Thought

Today's quote is from Wallace Wattles, author of the book: The Science of Getting Rich.
This book was featured in the movie The Secret.

"To think health when surrounded by the appearance of disease, or to think riches when in the midst of appearances of poverty, requires power; but he who acquires this power becomes a MASTER MIND. He can conquer fate; he can have what he wants."

Because of the fact that we live in a mostly negative world, we must take action everyday to control our mental focus. If not, then we will be controlled and brainwashed by our environment which would include the media and the people in our life. We must have vision, or else we will settle for what is around us instead of what we want to create in our thoughts. It is imperative that we work to control our thoughts and keep then on the things we want, and off of the things we don't want.

As Wattles explains in his book, there is a definite science to wealth attraction and getting the things that we want. Things don't happen by chance. To reach a level where we are a master mind, this is something that we all should strive to achieve.

All Men Are Created Equal. Some Work Harder in the Off Season.

quote by Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith is the NFL's all time leading rusher. I think that he is qualified to speak on topics such as work ethic. Work ethic is something I believe a great majority of people in America do not have much of. I believe God blesses all of us with so many gifts. Gifts that we take for granted and that we do nothing with. We look at what other people have or how they are and we wish we could be like them, not realizing that what another person has done we could probably do as well. But the majority of people are lazy and do not want to work hard.

We need to realize that people like Emmitt Smith, or any huge success for that matter, got that way because they put the time in and worked hard. Will Smith is quoted as saying that he has a "ridiculous, sickening work ethic." I believe that this is the kind of mentality we should adopt in regards to work ethic. If we desire to be live our dreams, a smart thing to do is to study people who have achieved massive success and copy them. Today let's learn from these great men and make a decision to strengthen our work ethic.

Words of Wisdom from 50 Cent

Motivational speaker Eric Thomas tells a story where 50 Cent (one of my favorite rappers) was interviewed on a movie set where he was also doing the soundtrack. The reporter asks, “50, when do you sleep?” 50′s reply, “Sleep? Sleep is for those who are broke! I don’t sleep. I have an opportunity to make a dream become a reality.” Today, 50 Cent is worth $216 Million.

We all have an opportunity to make our dreams a reality. But very few of us are willing to put the time in, to make the sacrafices, to pay the price to make those dreams a reality. If any of us are broke, then we have no business sitting around watching TV. Not even for one minute. We need to be hustling. We need to getting up early and studying successful people, studying wealthy people, studying relationships, working on our side business, taking classes, exercising, working a 2nd job if we have to. We have one shot at life. Today we need to choose not to stand on the sidelines of life. Let's get into the game.

"By Any Means Necessary."

- Malcolm X

I believe that this is the attitude that we must have if we are going to achieve greatness, or just to simply make our dreams a reality. When we decide to do something, its done. The decision has been made. Now all we have to wait for is for the universe to see our vision. Malcolm X had a definite goal in his mind and he was willing to do whatever it took to make that vision a reality. We must adopt this kind of focus in pursuit of our goals and dreams. Failure simply cannot be an option. We must not be concerned about what others are doing or compare ourselves to anybody. Whatever we spend time thinking about is going to come true. Keeping this in mind, we must keep our thoughts positive an focused on the things that we want and off the things we don't want. This will help our vision come into fruition quickly. If we get knocked off our path to our goals one day, that is ok but we must immediately get back on track.

Let us not play small today. It does not serve us or the universe to behave in this way. We are being called to do great things with our lives. In the eternal words of Malcolm X, let's find a way to make our dreams a reality "by any means necessary."

"When One Door Closes, Another Opens; But we often stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open."

quote by Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor

One of the easiest things for us to do is to live in a time other then the present. We dwell on our past failures which prevents us from moving forward and achieving our full potential. The best thing that we can do is just to let go of the past. We have absolutely no control of it whatsoever. We waste an incredible amount of mental energy dwelling on the past which robs us of time and energy we could be putting into our dreams and goals. Remember, what we want also wants us. But we must move on from the past. The present moment is all we have.

Let's focus on today on the future that we can have an impact on. There are endless possibilities in this world that we can take advantage of, but we must let go of whatever past events or persons are holding us back.

"Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it."

quote by Jack Canfield

I think the last sentence of this quote is what most people are not willing to do, and that is to take action. This is where we must separate ourselves from the majority of people on this planet. Everything we want in life is readily available to us. But we must put the work in. We must be willing to make the sacrifices necessary for us to see our dreams become a reality. Our focus must be razor sharp. By deciding exactly what we want, we help to bring those things into our life faster.

We must study about the things we want. If we want to become wealthy, we need to study wealth. If we want to be happy, we need to study happiness. We can not leave these things to chance. We must model those who have already achieved what we want. By doing this we bring the things we want into our lives even faster.

Don't Accept Second Class Behavior From Yourself or Others

- quote by Eben Pagan

This must be one of our daily motto's. We need to repeat this to ourselves daily. In regards to other people, certain boundaries need to be established. Sometimes we need to make it clear to people that their actions are unacceptable, and that we simply will not tolerate them. We need to be clear what our values are and stand up for them. We need to be as solid as a rock when it comes to our character and our integrity. Another choice we can make is to simply not hang around people who act in ways that go against what is acceptable behavior to us.

The same must hold true with our own behavior. When we get off track, which is bound to happen from time to time, then we must immediately get back on track. If we do something that is out of character for us, we need to forgive ourselves and move on. Let us not dwell on our past mistakes. If we make a mistake, it is OK because we are human beings and we are bound to make mistakes from time to time. If we know that we are performing below our potential in this great game of life, then this is totally unacceptable and we need to step our game up.

At all times you are either getting better or getting worse. You can not stay the same.

This is a belief that we should and must adopt for ourselves. Everyday we must be making improvements in ourselves. If not, then we are going backwards. Staying in the same place is the same as getting worse.

Tony Robbins has a phrase that he has trademarked: Constant and Never Ending Improvement. Even if we make small improvements in our daily lives, those improvements begin to stack on top of one another. Over time, we can shape a new reality for ourselves if we work to improve daily. Let's ask ourselves today: What can I improve on in my life today? What area of my life am I not happy with that needs some time and attention? What habits of mine need to be stopped immediately? What new behaviors/daily would I like to start daily? Let's choose the path of growth today, and not fall into the trap of complacency and laziness.

Abraham Lincoln was a failure at everything he tried until he was well past the age of 40.

Another person who got a late start in life was Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentuckey Fried Chicken, who didn't open his first restaurant until he was 65. If we are under the age of 40, then there is definitely still plenty of time to acheive our goals and dreams. Just because we have tried a couple of things in the past and they have not worked out, that is no reason to settle for less then what we really want. The world is full of people who have tried and failed several times before they finally achieved their goals and made a significant contribution to the world. The easiest thing that we could do is to quit and think that we'll never acheive our dreams. If we have this kind of thinking, then we need to get off our ass and get inspired. Let's learn from our past and realized that we have already acheived a lot. Additionally, let's learn from others who had it worse then we had it and went on to become super successful.

“People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

- quote by Zig Ziglar

Our daily habits are very important and we must pay attention to them. One important thing that we should be doing everyday is to motivate ourselves everyday. In order for us to stay on top of our game daily, we must motivate ourselves each and everyday. We must read about people who achieved greatly despite having to overcome serious obstacles. We must have gratitude daily for the gifts that we have been given. It's easy for us to feel sorry for ourselves and think that we have it really bad. The reality is lots of other people have overcome so much more then we have and have went on to achieve super successes. Every single person on the planet has a story about what happened to them. Get over it. The past is in the past and no matter how much we think about, its not gonna change. Let's inspire ourselves today to create the reality that we choose so we can enjoy the future of our choosing.

We Become What We Think About Most of The Time.

quote by Earl Nightingale

How much time have we spent today thinking about our goals and dreams? Are our goals in writing where we can review them and read them several times daily? How do we expect our dreams to materialize if we don't spend time thinking about them every single day. Instead of watching other people live out their dreams on TV, how about let's spend that time visualizing our ideal selves.

We get good at what we repeatedly do. If we spend a lot of time sitting on our ass being lazy, we are becoming an expert at that. Leisure and rest is important, but we will have plenty of rest time when we're dead. Let's spend time getting good at things like exercising, networking, reading and learning, or working in our chosen profession/business and becoming a master. We must spend time working on our goals if we want them to materialize in our lives.

God's Delay's Are Not God's Denials.

- quote by Robert Schuller

Let us remember today that just because our life is not exactly the way we want it to look like right now, that does not mean it wont in the future. Sometimes it just means that we are not ready to have something at some particular point in our life. We need to press on. God would not give us the ability to desire something so much without also giving us the means of acquiring it. We must remember that.

We must continue to work on ourselves everyday and have faith. We must believe in ourselves. Don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Other people's opinions about us are none of our business and we should not be concerned with that. Nor should be compare ourselves to anyone else. We are on our own path. Let's stay true to ourselves today and have the faith that we can manifest anything we want to in our lives.

"I have never known a really successful man who deep in his heart did not understand the grind, the discipline it takes to win."

- quote by Vince Lombardi

Let us today remember that we should never forget that self discipline is one of the most important qualities that we can and should develop. Although many external temptations will try to pull us off course, if we work on discipline daily very soon it will just naturally be a part of our character. Self discipline is essential for all areas of our lives: both career and personal. The people with the strongest work ethics are the ones who go the farthest in life.

Another great quote on discipline I've known since high school: "There are two types of pain. The pain of discipline, and the pain of regret." Let us choose today the path of self discipline. If we desire to become a certain type of person or achieve a desired goal or outcome, let's discipline ourselves today to do the work first so we can reap the rewards and achieve our goals and dreams.

Treat your mind like a fertile garden spot.

One of the best analogies that I've ever heard regarding our minds is the one that compares our minds to a garden spot. This was mentioned in Napoleon Hill's book: Think and Grow Rich. Weeds can grow very easily in our gardens if we are not careful. We must consciously spend time in our gardens every day working on it and planting flowers and giving the flowers plenty of nourishment. At the same time, the weeds must be removed. If we pay no attention to our gardens, then weeds will take over and will soon be out of control. At that point, it will take a lot of gardening to get rid of all of the weeds.

Planting good seeds to me means reading good books, exercising, prayer, eating healthy, writing in our journals, learning from mentors, self love, taking care of ourselves, getting proper rest, setting goals and working to achieve them, and constantly learning. Similarly, pulling out the weeds can be compared to eliminating bad habits, watching less or no TV, and getting negative depressed people out of our lives.

Asking if the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you.

- quote by Jim Rohn

Let's not forget today that we live in an abundant universe. There is plenty to go around for everybody. If we desire something, that is good. We also have the capacity to make that thing happen in our lives.
It's never too late to make a change. We must believe that we can create whatever we want to create. Even though things have gone a certain way all of our lives, things can change. People can and do change. And this starts with asking. Figure out what you want and ask for it. My favorite bible passage is "Ask and you shall Receive." So simple, but yet often forgotten.

Good Habits are Hard to Form But Easy To Live With. Bad Habits Are Easy to Form But Hard to Live With. - Brian Tracy

We sometimes forget the mental pain we have to go through when we first establish a new habit. They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit. The easiest thing to do is to go back to our old way of doing things after a few days because that is what is comfortable. But we must stick it out past the initial first few days or first week of uncomfortableness.

I actually have another quote that goes along with the topic of habits. It's from Og Mandino's book: The Greatest Salesman in the World. "I will form good habits and make them my slave." These two quotes we should remember at all times because I believe that successful living is just a matter of choosing ways of living/new habits of behavior and sticking to them no matter what. After we decide what habit we would like to establish, we must then stick to it like our lives depend on it. If we want it badly enough, the habit will stick and we will be more confident and happy. Our serenity level will be higher.

I'm actually going through this right now with my new habit of reading/studying. I love to read and learn, and I have so many good educational/inspirational/self help books I want to read. But sometimes simply sitting down and reading can be challenging because I can get easily distracted. The new habit I am establishing for myself is one hour of reading/studying per day first thing in the morning.

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength but by perseverance." -- H. Jackson Brown, Author

Never give up on the things that you are trying to accomplish. Don't quit on your dreams. If you truly desire to do something badly enough, you will accomplish it. Sometimes goals and dreams take longer then expected to materialize. I agree that it is easy to get discouraged when things are not exactly the way we want them to be. This is a good indication that we must spend more time and mental energy on our goals. Like the quote says, the stream always wins if we stay persistent. Stay at it.

It is so easy to get distracted. Television, emails, our cell phones all distract us. But we must lock in and stay on point. That is how we will achieve our dreams. Lock in. I sometimes repeat that to myself to get myself focused. I actually got that from Diddy. Lock in on your dream. Lock in on your goals. Lock in on the changes you want to make happen. On the person you want to become. If you get off track, get right back on. We are only on this earth for a very short time.

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." - Leon Suenens, Clergyman

Just a simple quote to keep us going today. Let's make sure today that we are constantly reminding ourselves what we are trying to achieve and what are dreams are today. Even if we can't see exactly how we are going to do it, that is not the most important thing. We must visualize 2 or 3 times a day exactly how we would like our lives to be, and then get rid of everything in our lives that does not look like our vision and our dream. Don't let yourself be distracted.

Turn the TV off. Most of it is negative garbage anyways. Instead, let's choose what information goes into our brain. Focus on your dream instead, and ways of making it a reality. Stop sitting on your ass watching people on TV live out their dreams, when you could get busy working on your own dreams. Make sure your dreams and goals are on paper so you can review them.

Happy Hump Day??

I don't understand this hump day nonsense. I understand the concept. But do people really only want to live for two days per week? How about this radical concept: lets live everyday like its a weekend day. Let's live everyday with the attitude that we are going to live this day to the fullest. I just know that we are only on this earth for a short time so to live for only two days per week is ridiculous. If we hate our jobs and we hate working, then we should make the necessary steps to change our attitude and/or our job/career.

I refuse to live by society's hump day concept. I choose to live everyday passionate about my life, my ambitions, my aspirations. The best is yet to come. Hump day is for average thinkers and average people. Let's strive to be great today.

"You become the people you spend the most time with. Choose your friends wisely."

I'm not quite sure who said this, it has been said several different times by several different people. But this wisdom holds true either way. We become just like the people that we hang around. Put another way, birds of a feather flock together.

We must consciously choose our friends, we can not just settle for the people that are placed in our path. On a regular basis, we must look at the people in our life and analyze whether they are the kind of people that we would like to become. Human beings are very easily influenced and the more you hang around somebody, chances are you are going to become just like them. We must seek out people that we can learn from and that can challenge us, not people who are going nowhere with their lives. Interestingly enough, the people who aren't going anywhere with their lives are always the ones who want to give you advice on how to live your life.

"Integrity is the essence of everything successful.” - Richard Buckminster Fuller

Integrity is one of the principles that I make every effort to live my life by. It is a way of living. This is especially true when dealing with other people. Acting with integrity helps us to feel better about ourselves. It is always better to do the right thing. I respect people more when I know that they are people of quality character and integrity.

"I am committed to living a life of 100% complete integrity." This is a phrase that I try to repeat daily. It is one of my 3x5 notecards that I read on a regular basis. If I'm gonna exist on this earth, I'd rather live in this way then to treat people badly and disrespect people. If I tell someone that I am going to do something, I am going to follow through on that. Integrity means I can be depended on.

Additionally, this is true in regards to the way I treat myself. It means doing the right thing when no one is watching.

Today I am going to do one good deed when no one is watching and I'm not going to tell anyone about it.

What is your serenity level on a scale of 1-10?

This is a question that I ask myself to keep myself on track. It is a good self check. Lately my serenity has been at a 7 or a 7.25 which is fantastic, but there have been times when it has been at like a 5. I like to ask myself my the question "How can I get my serenity level up to an 8?" When we ask ourselves questions like this which is a positive question, our brain will find ways to make this happen. I want to live at a high serenity level on a daily basis (obviously).

What I have discovered is that this goes back to self love and taking care of myself. This includes the little things. Things like keeping my apartment clean and in order, reading, working out, prayer, visualizing my ideal life, treating people right, etc.

"If you're chasing your dream, you're not running fast enough. Run Faster." P Diddy

Ok a lot of people I talk to don't like this guy. But my motto is if somebody is doing better then me, then I can definitely learn from them. I've been watching a lot of motivational youtube videos lately, and one of them is "P Diddy's words of wisdom." This is one of his quotes in that clip and it struck a chord with me. I believe that a person should be constantly moving towards their goals, dreams, and aspirations. However, if that person has been chasing a dream for a long time, then something needs to change. They need to get off their ass and stop making excuses. They need to make a decision about how things are going to be, and live accordingly.
There is great power in making a true decision. Once a decision is made, that's it. It's done.

On a side note, I realize that this is only fourth blog entry since 2008 haha. I'm now recommitting myself to write in this on a regular basis.