Be better!

I just completed my annual physical. I have been seeing the same doctor for the past ~10 years and three months into this 2020 crisis, I just obtained my BEST RESULTS ever! Yes! But unfortunately, the staggering news from my doctor was that I was the only one that had positive improvement in the same office during this crisis. Everyone else’s results are worse than last time.

Why the difference?

I believe it has everything to do with my approach to my spirit, body, and mind.

Everyone is living within their own story. And in every good story, according to Donald Miller of StoryBrand, there are four main characters:

• The Victim

• The Villain

• The Hero

• The Guide

I would predict that those with a negative annual physical result have fallen into the entitlement trap of being the victim or the villain in their own story. After all, 2020 has not started out the way any of us thought or would have hoped for. But, does that mean we are doomed? I think NOT!

Are you above average?

As for my story, I am targeting the guide! The one who has a plan, helps the hero eliminate the villain, and removes victim mentality. As the guide, my goal is to inspire and motivate people to overcome their limitations and live the maximum positive version of themselves.

Since March 1, I seriously stepped up my morning routine. I start with reading and centering spiritually. I then go to the gym and have increased my activity 3x over so far since getting into a solid routine. And finally, I protect what I input into my body and especially my mind. I eat well and pound positivity into my mind all day long! For you become what you think about all day long. I do not let negativity hand around!

I blogged recently about the power of a negative mindset and a few seriously damaging results. One of which stated illness is either started or exacerbated 83% with a negative mindset! To the contrary, a positive mindset makes you mentally and physically stronger to face off illness and live your greatest life.

We have been taught for a long time that most people fall into a category of normality. In fact, there is a statistically proven model called the graph of normality or otherwise known as the bell curve, that shows the categories people fall into. And the curve shows the majority of people fall into the middle section referred to as “normal” or “average”.

You can measure people any most any category and find the results basically fit into this curve. Standardize tests like the SAT and ACT (college entrance exams), annual performance reviews, level of spiritually, focus and execution on physical activity, etc. In fact, I was at the gym on Saturday morning and the only people there were in the way above average physical category, where I want to be and am headed! The rest of the people were somewhere else, being average.

Going to the gym is easy to do and unfortunately, easier not to. People gravitate to the lowest level acceptable standard.

I challenge you to raise your personal lowest level acceptable standard to better than average and see the difference over time. It is compelling!

Dave Ramsey has made a huge impact in people’s lives with the phase “live like no one else so you can live like no one else.” Push yourself above average now so you can live above average later. Live the life of your dreams, not settling for mediocrity.

There is good news!

No matter where you fall on the bell curve in any category, you CAN move to the better end. It takes FOCUS, dreams, goals, actions, accountability, and self-determination. You have to guard your input and your circle of influence. For what you focus on expands. We have this really cool feature in our brain called the Reticular Activator System (RAS). The RAS allows the brain to automatically take what you focus on and create a filter for it. Focus on the bad things and you will invite negativity into your life. Focus on the good things and they will come to you, because your brain is seeking them out. It’s not magic, it’s your RAS influencing the world you see around you.

Where is your FOCUS?

If we set our intent and focus, our RAS will help us out. Our brains look out for our interests. Our RAS is filtering through billions of pieces of data so we can see and hear and be what we want to be.

Malcolm X said, “That which do you do not hate, you will eventually tolerate.” People become impervious and numb to the person they are becoming. They minimize where they really are to avoid the pain of reality.

You will get out of your life what you will accept! Raise your standard!

It is YOUR story! The finish line will come! Will you let fate decide the result of your story or will you take control?

Be your life’s hero today! Accept the reality of where you are and get going for the next level of you. Be ambitious about it!

Believe that your past can never be bigger than your future and make it happen!

Never give up, Be Above Average and Never Settle for Mediocrity!

Fail Forward!

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Not a very realistic possibility so rather I should ask, if you knew your greatest success would come if you did not fear failing, what would you do?

As students, we learn that failure does not pass. If we don’t pass, we fail. If we fail, we do not go to the next level and we began to take on a label of “failure”.

This is a dangerous philosophy.

The danger of failure isn’t necessarily the disappointment that follows, but how we use that disappointment. We have been habituated to feel unworthy or unaccomplished, as if we just don’t measure up. But avoid classifying yourself a failure. Instead, learn. Understand what did not work. Grow. Ask what can be done better. Improve. Outperform the past.

Zig Ziglar said “Failure is an event, not a person.” This separates the result of failure from ourselves to the event itself. The good news, the event is in the past and you are in the present, headed to the future. Fail. Learn. Grow. Improve.

In John C. Maxwell’s book “Failing Forward”, he shares that failure is not the opposite of success but rather the road to it. He states failure is inevitable and we should embrace it. Maxwell said, “The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”

Average vs. achieving

Here are some examples of people who embraced their failures to get to the greatest success!

1. Thomas Edison's teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb before finding success. He held more than 1,000 patents and invented the incandescent light bulb, phonograph, motion picture camera, as well as many other major inventions. Edison said, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

2. Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper for his lack of creativity. He also failed with this first animation company called Laugh-O-Gram Films. He later created a few classic films with a mouse that changed everything. Disney said, “It is good to have failure… because it teaches you so much.”

3. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and failed in a business he cofounded called Traf-O-Data, a company that generated data for traffic light placement and road improvement. He learned, fueled his gifts, and later created Microsoft and changed the world. Gates said, “It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

4. Fred Smith while attending Yale, received a “C” from his economics professor stating his idea for a hub and spoke freight service dedicated to small, time-sensitive air freight was futile given the regulatory climate and hostility of entrenched airlines. Smith said, “Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something.” He later started Federal Express (now called FedEx) on the same idea and it quickly became known for their motto “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.”

5. Michael Jordan missed more than 9,000 shots, lost almost 900 games, and missed the game winning shot 26 times over his NBA career. Jordan said, “I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” He accumulated six NBA championships of which he was the most valuable player in all six. He holds many NBA records to date including the most points scoring average in the NBA finals at 41. 

6. Reggie Jackson holds the number one position in the category of most strike outs at bat with 2,597 in MLB history. Yet, he is ranked #14 in all-time home runs at 563 from his 14 seasons in the MLB. He is a five time world series champion. What many don’t know is Reggie really wanted to play football. He twisted his knee in 1963 and the Dr’s said he would never play again. He overcame. He came back in the same season to break his neck (fractured five cervical vertebrae), and the Dr’s then said he would never walk again. He again overcame. In fact, he turned down Alabama and Georgia to play football at Arizona State where he was also allowed to play baseball. While in the MLB, according to Wayne State University Physicists, they estimated he hit a homerun in 1971 at the all-star game 650 feet. It actually hit a transformer at 400 feet, 90 feet above the ground. Jackson said, “I feel that the most important requirement in success is learning to overcome failure. You must learn to tolerate it, but never accept it.”

7. Abraham Lincoln experienced failure in 17 of 20 major life events. Yet he became the 16th president of the United States, preserving the Union during the U.S. Civil War, and brought about the emancipation of slaves.

• Family forced out of home in 1816 (age of 7)

• Mother died 1818

• Less than one year formal education

• Worked in a failed in business 1831

• Defeated for the Legislature in 1832

• Failed again in business in 1833

• Elected for the Legislature in 1834

• Sweetheart died 1835

• Defeated for Speaker in 1838

• Defeated for Elector in 1840

• Married a bad wife 1842

• Only one of his four sons lived past the age of 18

• Defeated for Congress in 1843

• Elected to Congress in 1846

• Defeated for Congress in 1848

• Defeated for Senate in 1855

• Defeated for Vice President in 1856

• Defeated for Senate in 1858

• Elected to President in 1860

• Assonated in 1965 

President Abraham Lincoln

“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”

President Lincoln said, “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” Certainly he was not content and did a lot of learning, growing, and improving, for what he accomplished as President was truly amazing!

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon where it is always day one, and arguably now the largest company in the world said, “If the size of your failures isn't growing, you're not going to be inventing at a size that can actually move the needle.”

Set inspiring goals that will encourage you to take action and fail. For in failure is the best learning that leads to the greatest success. Master Yoda said, “The greatest teacher, failure is.”

Don’t let your fear of failure ever be greater than your fear of inaction for this will surely prevent you from becoming all you are made to be!

You have huge potential and a unique greatness that only YOU can provide. You are amazingly capable. You are equipped and qualified to go after the awakened passions in your heart.

Fail. Learn. Grow. Improve.

Never give up and Fail Forward!

IS EVERYTHING!

And the result is your life!

It’s been said that “Attitude is Everything”.

By definition, attitude is the manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind. The position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc.

Attitude is both mental and physical.

“Our attitudes determine our success and happiness more than any other factor in life.” - Jimmy Evans

Our attitude is a choice.

Viktor Frankl was a prisoner of war in Germany during WWII from 1942-1945 at Auschwitz. His mother, father, brother, and pregnant wife were all killed in the camps. It would appear he had lost everything. He said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” Frankl lived to be 92 and contributed a great deal of value for many years after overcoming Auschwitz.

Attitudes are not caused by people or circumstances.

We CAN overcome any situation with a good attitude.

We are not victims of circumstances.

John C. Maxwell has spent a great deal of time and study on the topic of attitude. In his book, the Winning Attitude, John states “Attitude is the advanced man of our true selves. Its roots are inward, but its fruits are outward. It is our best friend and our worst enemy. It is more honest and consistent than our works. It is the thing that draws people to us or repels them. It is never content until it is expressed. It is the librarian of our past, it is the speaker of our present, it is the prophet of our future.”

He continues to share:

“Our Attitude…

1.     …Is a Choice

2.     …Determines Our Approach To Life

3.     …Determines Our Relationship With People

“The most important single ingredient to the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” - Teddy Roosevelt

4.     …Is the Only Difference Between Success and Failure

“Always be kind to your ‘A’ and ‘B’ students. Someday one of them will return to your campus as a good professor. And also be kind to your ‘C’ students. Someday one of them will return and build a two-million dollar science laboratory.” - The President of Yale University

5.     …At the Beginning of a Task Will Affect the Outcome More Than Anything Else

6.     …Can Turn Our Problems into Blessings

“What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude towards it. Every opportunity has a difficulty and every difficulty has an opportunity.” - Sidlow Baxter

7.     …Can Give Us an Uncommonly Positive Perspective”

Attitude is more important than your talent, skill, and ability in determining success.

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” - Zig Ziglar

Attitude groups people into a few basic categories:

1.     The people you WANT to be around

2.     The people you DON’T WANT to be around

Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching?

If not, can an attitude be changed? 

“Who we are today is the result of choices we made yesterday. Tomorrow we will become what we chose today. To change means to choose to change.” - John C. Maxwell

Words have POWER! Here is one simple yet powerful thing to begin a change in your Attitude:

Make a conscious effort to speak words of positivity. It’s as simple as replacing “if” with “when” (“when I achieve that goal”, rather than “if I ever finish…”). Talk success into a reality!

If you were trying to motivate someone, you would offer words of support, encouragement, and inspiration. It is the same for yourself. Unfortunately, many people limit themselves with a self-defeating internal voice saying things like “I can’t. I doubt. I don’t think. I don’t have the time. I’m afraid. I don’t believe.”

This self-doubt will deteriorate our attitude and limit success. Rather than speak defeat, change the words to “I can. I expect the best. I know. I’ll make the time. I am confident. I believe.”

This change in yourself will reap significant positive benefits. Change this in your team and magnify the results considerably further. This little secret has been one of the biggest keys to great success in my own career!

Attitude is a game changer!

“Nothing can stop the man with the right a right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” - President Thomas Jefferson

Attitude is more important than aptitude in determining success.

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” - Zig Ziglar 

Why not reach for the stars?

Change your thinking, change your attitude, change your result.

One day we will all cross the finish line of our life. How will you finish? Will you let fate determine your final score or will you take control and write your own story?

Never give up and Be Hungry!