Create a Good Day
Archive for July, 2009
The Power of ZZZ
Jul 31st
So yes, before I begin this is very hypocritical of me. I’m writing this at 2:00am EST. I usually write before that and my standard post time is usually midnight EST. By then I’m long asleep, but many of my readers are definitely awake. There really is no point in you staying up late at night if it will lead to you waking up less productive, or wasting time at night.
Most of you are at the point in your lives where you are aiming towards careers and are very goal oriented. A lot of your best ideas come right in the morning. When the air is fresh and the your mind is clearing up, you find yourself thinking of so many things. The only way you can maximize your mornings is by taking advantage of your sleep. Don’t take it for granted. It’s been said you need a solid 7 hours, but I find my self most beneficial with 8.
It’s not a pride thing or an ego contest staying up longer anymore. If you want to be successful in your life, your going to need to take advantage of your mornings. If you work yourself right during your day, your going to want to do nothing but SLEEP in order to wake up and do it all again the day after.
The message today is short and simple, because quite frankly I need to get to bed. Remember that to be productive during the day you must realize the power of your sleep. It makes no sense to get 4 or 5 hours of sleep if you’re going to wake up in a foul mood and waste 3 hours of your morning anyways. Tack on those 3 at night and you’re getting your 7-8 hours and you’re waking up fresh and ready to attack the world.
Good night!!
Remember your past
Jul 30th
My favorite author, Robin Sharma, says it best:
“Every second you dwell on the past you steal from your future. Every minute you spend focusing on your problems you take away from finding your solutions. And thinking about all those things that you wish never happened to you is actually blocking all the things you want to happen from entering into your life…it makes no sense to worry about past events unless you want to experience them for a second time. Instead, use the lessons you have learned from your past to rise to a while new level of awareness and enlightenment”
It is in our greatest misfortunes that we find the best changes. In my life, I was diagnosed with cancer and I could’ve easily sulked and said eff the world. While at 16 years old, that may have been appropriate, it would not have lead to future prosperity in any aspect of life. I chose to find a way to make change from what some deemed as my misfortune, but what I deemed as a blessing in disguise.
I sit and think back so many time to hearing the word “cancer” in the hospital room. But look it where it has taken me.
Remember your past no matter how bad it was because the fact that you’re still standing toady’s means that it brought you here somehow. Find a way to look at your past, as bad as it was, and make better. It clearly starts with you, as it did with me. I am firm in believing that all your experiences in life are like stepping stones to that point in life where you look back and figure what you’ve learnt from your experiences. It’s been said that when you fail at something you do gain experience. Look back at all the “failures” in your life and find little lessons to bring you forward. Too many people don’t remember what got them to where they are today and by that don’t serve justice to their future.
Sit and reminisce sometimes. Do it right now. Appreciate your life and what you have been through because that defines who you are today.
Good night. Be sure to contact me with requests for blog posts.
Initiative – it can go a long way
Jul 29th
Anyone can go to work one day and do the tasks required of them. Those are the ordinary people. Extraordinary people find a way to do more than required. Initiative is defined as doing something and doing it right without being told. Seems like a simple rule, something we learn in grade 1. Ya it is. But it’s something that needs to be reminded on a ongoing basis.
There are really three main levels of intiative:
High Scale- Person who does task without being told, or being told only once
–>This person is always in consideration for promotion and has respect
Medium Scale- Person only does right thing when necessity kicks in
–> This person always has a hard luck story
Low Scale- Person will not do something right even when given every instruction how
–>Constantly out of a job
What level are you sitting at? If you think you’re lower, think of a way to change it. Get up and make some change. Do something to surprise somebody else and you’ll see that your esteem and trust will rise with those around you.
How do we eliminate procrastination?
Simple. 3 steps:
1. Doing something definite EACH DAY…without anyone telling you to do it
2. Looking around until you find at least one thing you can do each day that you have not been in the habit of doing, that will value others, without pay
3. Telling at least ONE person each day the value of practicing this habit of doing something without being told to do it
By combining these three steps, with the will to be better, our vibe and the vibe of ALL those around you will increase and ultimately you will find yourself being a better person.
Good night world thank you for the support to date, let’s keep it going!
Sometimes you just gotta get back on the ice
Jul 28th
Today I skated. Ya big deal right. To me, it is a big deal. It had been almost 5 full years since my feet had stepped onto the ice. Almost 5 years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. Almost exactly 4 summers ago, I had hip surgery on both my hips. The details as to why don’t matter.
I truthfully thought I wouldn’t be able to touch ice again. It was a slow recovery, and maybe it was me simply being scared. Today, I shook that fear. Ice was there, skates were there, I was there, all the pieces were in place. So I did it.
I’ll tell you, it’s a far far cry from those days where I’d be dangling people all over the ice, I couldn’t even stop with my left foot. But even though it was only 20 minutes, it was unbelievable. The best 20 minutes I’ve had in a few years; and I mean every word of that.
Too many times in life, we are scared to step back on the ice of life when we have failed or when it seemed impossible. Nothing is really impossible until you give it a try. One day, I want to be able to skate with my kids, and if I hadn’t taken these steps today, who knows when I would’ve. Life is about taking those steps again even if you think it’s impossible. Nothing is really impossible until you attempt it. Only after you’ve tried can you deem a case closed. I’ll tell you that my legs kill, and I’ll probably be a bit slower for the next two days, but I think I’m going to do it again next week. And the week after, and the week after.
I promise you, on the drive home I almost cried, because this day to me seemed so far a mere 5 years ago. Nothing is far unless you distance yourself from it. So lace up the skates really tight, make sure their sharp and take those steps because the feeling you gain after cannot be explained through mere words.
As with any big day I’ve ever had on the ice, whether it be my first goal, or first hat trick today I took the puck and I’ll gladly display it as well as it marks one of my biggest hockey moments ever.
Good night.
Do more than asked of you
Jul 26th
So when I told people my idea of starting a blog, they said nice man every couple days having some thoughts wouldn’t be a bad thing. Little did they know I planned on writing something daily. It is 1:22 am. This is the first day I haven’t had something ready at midnight, but my reputation and credibility that I gained from these first 11 days blogging will allow my readers to stay calm. By doing more than required, you establish a great brand name, in that if you slip up slightly, you have your reputation to fall back on.
The most successful people have a passion for what they do, which is what motivates them to put a greater effort and time into whatever into it is they want to achieve. By establishing a reputation as being a person who does this, you will benefit by comparison with those around you who do not render such service, and the contrast will be so noticeable that there will be keen competition for your services.
There is a famous saying that goes:
‘ Instead of saying: “Show me the color of your money and I will show you what I can do”, say “Let me show you the color of my service so that I may take a look at the color of your money if you like my service”
Do a bit more than you ask because it’ll go a long way in helping the days of everyone around you.
Good night!
Is it worth being down?
Jul 26th
This entry is being dedicated to my family at Mosaic ‘09.
I spent all day today semi depressed (pretty much depressed.) I watched today as a lot of my good friends and family went off to camp as counselors for kids aged 10-12. Now I had been a counselor for the last 2 years and my hope was that I would become one again. Leadership went a different direction and unfortunately for me it didn’t work out. Don’t get me wrong at all, the team is outstanding and lives are going to change because of them, but naturally I wanted to be a part of this process.
For the last while I’ve wondered if it was something I had done that had caused them to make this decision and while they had assured me it was not, for me it was never enough knowing that I didn’t get selected. But as I sit here today, I question why I extracted so much time and energy into something that wasn’t going to change and instead of me sitting and thinking of all the negative parts of myself, it would be way better to find a way to make an impact, or contribute in another way.
Yes all of me would love to be with them right now at this camp with these kids, but the reality is that this year it just didn’t happen. My problem, is that I allowed myself to stay negative, and when you stay negative as I have written, you don’t let any positive enter your life.
Today’s message is short and simple: I wasted the whole day being down on something that would not change. The beauty is, I can wake up tomorrow and start fresh. Forget today. Smile for them at camp, and smile even bigger for here knowing that I have the ability to create some difference in a different, yet equally impactful way.
You can all do it too. Monday start’s a new day, and a new week. Let it be a good one. I thank you all for the support so far and I hope you’ve enjoyed the messages I have spread. Thing’s happen for their respective reasons, you must let those reasons surface instead of always trying to dig for them yourselves.
Good night!
Identifying your goals
Jul 25th
The idea of writing down your goals and reminding yourself of them is something that most people under value. The importance of this cannot be seen through a post on a blog. It’s important that every individual identifying milestones in which they hope to achieve.
95% of people in the world are DRIFTING AIMLESSLY in life without the slightest concept of the work that they are best fitted, and with NO CONCEPT whatsoever of even the need for such a thing as a DEFINITE OBJECTIVE towards which to strive.
It’s really actually quite simple:
SELECT with deliberate care, WRITE it out and place it where you can see it ONCE A DAY
This effort will allow for space for repetition and emotional imprinting of your subconscious mind so strongly that it accepts the purpose as a blueprint and will eventually dominate your activities in life and lead you to the attainment of YOUR PURPOSE.
Many people will ask: what happens if I don’t. Until you define what you hope from life, you dissipate your energies and spread your thoughts over SO MANY SUBJECTS and SO MANY DIFFERENT directions that they lead not to power but to INDECISION and WEAKNESS.
The reasons are simple. The more you are able to identify your desires or goals, the more you will be able to identify opportunities to progress towards them. The more they enter your mind, the more you can make use of the sources around you and try to find alliances and people that can help you get forward in life.
Law of Attraction
Jul 24th
I was humbled yesterday. I had the chance to speak at a camp to teenagers ages 15-17 and I promise it was my most fulfilling session yet. My topic was relating the LAW OF ATTRACTION to my story of fighting cancer.
The Law of Attraction is works in the following way :
I attract to my life whatever I give my attention, energy and focus to, whether positive or negative
People in their lives, always have the WHY ME question. They wonder why they keep going through bad relationship after bad relationship, bad exam after bad exam, failed job after failed job. The reality is that this happens because these people, the ones who allow the negatives to serve as an excuse, don’t allow for positive to enter their lives. It makes no sense thinking about the failed experiences unless you want them to happen for a second, third, time. It’s about allowing yourself to take the lessons and things you have learned from those bad experiences and find a way to turn them into positives.
The LAW OF ATTRACTION has the following process:
- You observe what you receive and have in your life (whether positive or negative)
- While observing you are sending a vibration, either negative or positive
- The law of Attraction responds to the vibration you are sending
- As a result you get more of what you were vibrating, whether positive or negative
In my life, I took my step 1 ( being diagnosed with cancer- a negative occurrence) and observed the positive thoughts (step 2). From their, because of my decision to stay positive, more and more positive instances occurred in my life. (step 3 & 4).
The truth is, the law of attraction is a MASSIVE topic to touch on, and something that will take several blog posts, but delve into the points and definitions at the top and find a way to turn your negative thoughts into positive thoughts.
I Believe- Napolean Hill
Jul 23rd
I ran across this creed by Napolean Hill- famous author from the 1700’s. His words were powerful then, and even more powerful now. The basis of this post is to serve as a reminder each day that if you have the confidence and belief in yourself, in your abilities, and in your surroundings nothing can stop you from getting to where you go. Today’s post is not about my words; it’s about the words of a man who’s 1700 page book I have read cover to cover and who’s words have changed my outlook on life. Stay tuned for more Napolean Hill.
I believe in myself. I believe in those who work with me. I believe in my employer. I believe in my friends. I believe in my family. I believe that God will lend me everything I need with which to succeed if I do my best to earn it through faithful and honest service. I believe in prayer and I will never close my eyes in sleep without praying for divine guidance to the end that I will be patient with other people and tolerant with those who do not believe as I do. I believe that success is the result of intelligent effort and does not depend upon luck or sharp practices or double-crossing friends, fellow men, or my employer. I believe I will get out of life exactly what I put into it; therefore I will be careful to conduct myself toward others as I would want them to act toward me. I will not slander those whom I do not life. I will not slight my work no matter what I may see others doing. I will render the best service of which I am capable because I have pledged myself to succeed in life and I know that success is always the result of conscientious and efficient effort. Finally, I will forgive those who offended me because I realize that I shall sometimes offend others and I will need their forgiveness.
Don’t forget those close to you
Jul 22nd
Written in the summer of 2008
I write after what may be the most inspiring moment in my life. I’m sitting in the family mini-van driving from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach and something that has never happened in my 20 years of existence happened. After some hostility on this drive, my younger sister stopped everything and said “That’s it we all have to compliment every person in this car, I’m starting.”
And she did. And we all did. And I don’t know what happened. It took hesitant times from everyone and it seemed like no body was up for it after my sister, but we all did it. And you should do it. Appreciate the members in your family, because you are nothing without them. Take time on a drive, or a dinner to sit and play a compliment game, because you do not know the thoughts that occur in the minds of others. Sit and appreciate the good you have around you, even if it takes 10 minutes for one member to begin. I have never felt closer to my family then I do at this exact moment, and it came from my sisters ability to find one good in everyone despite the arguments that were going on simply moments before.
I never knew the thoughts that went through my parents head let alone the thoughts of my two sisters even though I live with these people. I love my family, and I would be no where without them. Despite what you feel right now, many of you will agree.
