As a culture and society we’ve been taught that it isn’t smart to stand out in a crowd.

Our parents tell us you should be more like little Johnny or go and do what the other kids are doing.

As we enter school, if you stand out, you are labeled a trouble maker or distracted.

By college most of us have fallen to the words of these well intended, but unfortunately misled elders in our lives.

It’s no wonder that many people feel trapped, afraid to break free from the rest of the pack in order to create, do and be something we feel inside.

We like to talk about what we want, sometimes becoming emotional and passionate about the subject, yet we do the exact opposite things which would lead us in the direction of our dream or do very little to nothing at all to go after it.

So, what are you afraid of?

What are you hiding from?

What do you think will possibly happen to you if you shed the ways of old and go after what you truly feel is in your heart?

Death? Probably not, unless you want to jump from a plane without a parachute.

Will someone take away your birthday? No, but it might be nice to skip a few.

I love this next one,

“Well, I don’t know how…” (you need to say it in a whiny voice for full effect)

You don’t know how? Everything we “know how” to do we were either taught or learned by doing.

Remember this, “if your WHY is big enough, the HOW won’t matter!”

Here’s another good one.

Will you lose friends or family? Ah ha! That might be it.

We’re so concerned with what other people will think or what we perceive they may think if we go after what we want.

Yeah, you may lose a few friends or family members trying to keep you down, but it’s very well worth it.

Why stay friends or in a relationship with someone that doesn’t allow you to or want you to be yourself and be the best you, you can possibly be?

If you look throughout history the greatest men and women didn’t stand in a crowd, didn’t bow down to mediocrity and didn’t settle for what others thought they should do.

They took a stand, studied the subjects they were interested in and took action towards their goals and dreams!

Will you choose to be afraid and trapped the rest of your life

or

will you choose to be the best YOU. The YOU that only you can see right now. The YOU that could bring greatness to your family, your community or even the world.

The choice is ultimately yours to make.

Make it a good one!

Posted under Motivational, Personal

We all have a story.

When we are talking to someone for the first time, trying to get to know them better, we tell our story.

If you are speaking in front of a group and use life experiences to help with a point, you’re telling your story.
When we are in the moment and have a major decision to make, we feel like that’s the world, right then and there.

But, if we a take a step back and look over our entire life, this is just one chapter in our story.

For example, when telling folks about my education, I might say, “I went to high school at Springs Academy and I graduated in 1993.”

But, is that it?

No.

There were 4 long years in high school. Major decisions were made.

Like who to hang out with,

Finding a job,

High school romance,

Tests,

Parties, etc.

Do you see my point?

A lot happens in high school and at the time it was the focal point of our story, but now it’s usually summed up into one or two sentences.

Same holds true with college. There were four, five or more years spent in college.

Again, you had to make major decisions. Decisions that felt almost impossible to make at the time.

What major to choose, do I stick with a particular major?

What company should I intern with?

Do I join a fraternity/sorority? Which one?

But, right now, when talking about college, we can sum it up in one or two sentences.

Right now you may be facing major decisions.

You’ve been laid off and would like to find a job. You keep telling yourself, “man, if one good job would come my way.” Instead, you have three to choose from.

Which one do you choose?

May be you’re in a relationship that isn’t going well.

Do you stay and try to “work it out” or do you part ways so both of you are happier?

What about this year?

Did you have a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, get in shape, or live healthier in 2009?

Is it happening for you? Are you taking the steps to make it happen?

What will this part of your story be like?

Will it be five or ten years summed up into one or two humdrum sentences or are you finally getting to the good part of your story full of action and excitement?

Major decisions are a part of life and they always will be regardless of the path you choose. It’s the direction you choose now that makes the difference in the next chapter of your life story.

Will you feel like a success at the end of your story, weaving into it details of struggle, lessons learned, and a triumphant win in the end? Or will it be another tragedy, like so many others, that choose to tip toe till the end and say, “should a, could a, would a?”

If fitness was one of your goals and you’ve let it slip up until now, you have a major decision to make.
Will you take action on the long and exciting journey to a healthier more productive life or will you choose the gloom and doom of your comfortable existence?

Either decision you make, it will have its struggles and challenges, but in the end, what story will you tell?

Posted under Motivational, Uncategorized