...
No, this is not a message from the late Martin Luther King, Jr. and his powerful message from 1963.
This topic has been on my brain for along time and there seems to be tons of dialogue with my friends and coaching clients in the past number of months about Dreams.
First of all, I do have a Dream....in fact, I have several. When asked, I share some of those dreams with friends and colleagues. Some responses include, wow that is awesome....or, my dreams aren't that good, or.. I don't really have one.....
Here's some very basic advice.......your dream can be as big or small as you want it to be, and it does not need to excite anyone else, except you!!!
When I get into this a little deeper, I find out some amazing and exciting things.......
What about my friend B.E. who dreams of opening a Flower Shop, or my friend S.D. who dreams of completing an MBA, or my friend, T.R. who dreams of being a billionaire (so bad too) ....or my friend P.L. who is living the dream?
While I have used this quote and video clip in one of my Blogs back in March 2010, I felt it worthy to dust it off for a quick review, once again.
This is from the Pursuit of Happyness movie, with Will Smith, and is my favourite quote and scene from the movie, as it says so much, with very few words.
"Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something…not even me. You got a dream….you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something….go get it…period"
Click here for video link
For most of us, we seemed to stop dreaming when we became adults. Why? Perhaps, someone told us that we couldn't do something, or we didn't protect the dream.
As kids, we dreamed of becoming doctors, astronauts, riding horses, or playing in a rock band, and much more.
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” - Napoleon Hill
There have been many things that I have done in my life that many years ago would have been regarded as a wild dream, or crazy idea..........but today they have been realized. Sometimes, its as simple as taking a little action and instilling belief in yourself that you can indeed realize the dream.
p.s...I had a surreal moment as I was listening to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech on Youtube while I prepared this week's Blog. As I typed the words, "Pursuit of Happyness", within this Blog, he said the exact words (Pursuit of Happiness) as I typed them......I was kinda wowed by that coincidence..........That man indeed, had a Dream!!!
Have a great week.....you deserve it.
I welcome your comments on this weeks Blog in the comment section below.
"Helping you to the next level"
Monday, October 18, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Thank you!
...
With the Thanksgiving weekend behind us, I felt that it was appropriate to give thanks to the many people that are in my world. There are many!
I do not say that to impress you, but to impress upon you that we all have people in our life that care so much about our well-being.
Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. I am grateful that my family in Saskatchewan is on the home stretch of getting their harvest off.
As I reflect, I find it really amazing that when you take the time to truly be thankful and grateful for the people you have in your life, nothing else seems as stressful or concerning.
You simply realize that life is pretty good, even though, at times, it can give you grief and challenge.
Those special people that support you, listen to you and care about your well-being make all the difference. Who are those people in your world? Are you on someones list too? This is a reciprocal process, meaning you give to so many people too, and rest assured, they are grateful.
One of my favourite songs is called "Thank You" (Johnny Reid)
The first few lines are as follows:
"If I only had, two words left to say to you.
With my last breath I'd come face the truth to you.
You've never left my side, even when I fell behind.
Thank-you."
Thank you to the special people in my life that never left my side.
Have a great week and be thankful for the great people in your life.
Helping you to the next level.
With the Thanksgiving weekend behind us, I felt that it was appropriate to give thanks to the many people that are in my world. There are many!
I do not say that to impress you, but to impress upon you that we all have people in our life that care so much about our well-being.
Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general. I am grateful that my family in Saskatchewan is on the home stretch of getting their harvest off.
As I reflect, I find it really amazing that when you take the time to truly be thankful and grateful for the people you have in your life, nothing else seems as stressful or concerning.
You simply realize that life is pretty good, even though, at times, it can give you grief and challenge.
Those special people that support you, listen to you and care about your well-being make all the difference. Who are those people in your world? Are you on someones list too? This is a reciprocal process, meaning you give to so many people too, and rest assured, they are grateful.
One of my favourite songs is called "Thank You" (Johnny Reid)
The first few lines are as follows:
"If I only had, two words left to say to you.
With my last breath I'd come face the truth to you.
You've never left my side, even when I fell behind.
Thank-you."
Thank you to the special people in my life that never left my side.
Have a great week and be thankful for the great people in your life.
Helping you to the next level.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Struggles
...
In my profession as a Business Consultant and Sales Coach, I see and speak with many people who have struggles. Some struggles are personal, and some are professional issues, but the reality is that this is completely normal. It's called life!!
When the going gets tough, do you keep going? Many people do, and persevere, but many people just stop...or quit!
"If you're going through hell, keep going." -Winston Churchill
Life can throw us curve balls without notice, but we must teach ourselves, or seek support from others to learn how to get out of the rut, or funk. Be strong and put in the effort to step forward.
As I speak with more and more people in my journey called life, I realize that alot of people don't actually know where they want to end up. Their struggles may be related to job or career challenges. Perhaps they work hard and life is always hectic with their business and they see no end in sight. They may say, "why me?"
I really like the advice from Andy Andrews (7 Decisions for Success) .
He states, when someone asks, "why me, I will immediately counter with the answer, why not me? Challenges are gifts, an opportunity to learn. Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity I will not have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. Adversity is preparation for greatness."
This is great advice, and I do know that it works.
In addition to the above suggestion, I really encourage you to think about the following advice as it has served me very well over the past few years as I encountered many struggles in my life.
Focus on what you want......NOT on what you don't want. This is very simple advice, but so many people don't follow this. Create the life that you want..................you deserve it!
Instead of saying, "I don't want to be unhappy, say "I want true happiness and will do what I need to do to find it"....(Two very different approaches)
I am a big fan of the work of Napoleon Hill. One of my favourites quotes from him is, "why is it that more people don't keep on, keeping on?" The meaning here is that, if we push ourselves just a little more or further, we may get through the challenge and reap the benefits of our efforts...!
Here is my way of illustrating the struggles of life and I will relate it to a baseball diamond. The goal in baseball is to get a hit (let's call that success) and advance around the bases (we will call this the journey of life) If you only get to 1st base and hit a challenge or struggle (you are out) you must start all over again. Getting to 1st base 10 times or 50 times is not the objective. Keep on keeping on, to advance your life!
When you get good at this, you realize that you will keep doing it, because as I see it, there is no other option worth considering!!!
Struggles will make you stronger........trust me on this one!!!
I would welcome your comments on this week's Blog, in the comment section below.
"Helping you to the next level"
In my profession as a Business Consultant and Sales Coach, I see and speak with many people who have struggles. Some struggles are personal, and some are professional issues, but the reality is that this is completely normal. It's called life!!
When the going gets tough, do you keep going? Many people do, and persevere, but many people just stop...or quit!
"If you're going through hell, keep going." -Winston Churchill
Life can throw us curve balls without notice, but we must teach ourselves, or seek support from others to learn how to get out of the rut, or funk. Be strong and put in the effort to step forward.
As I speak with more and more people in my journey called life, I realize that alot of people don't actually know where they want to end up. Their struggles may be related to job or career challenges. Perhaps they work hard and life is always hectic with their business and they see no end in sight. They may say, "why me?"
I really like the advice from Andy Andrews (7 Decisions for Success) .
He states, when someone asks, "why me, I will immediately counter with the answer, why not me? Challenges are gifts, an opportunity to learn. Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity I will not have a problem to deal with, I will have a choice to make. Adversity is preparation for greatness."
This is great advice, and I do know that it works.
In addition to the above suggestion, I really encourage you to think about the following advice as it has served me very well over the past few years as I encountered many struggles in my life.
Focus on what you want......NOT on what you don't want. This is very simple advice, but so many people don't follow this. Create the life that you want..................you deserve it!
Instead of saying, "I don't want to be unhappy, say "I want true happiness and will do what I need to do to find it"....(Two very different approaches)
I am a big fan of the work of Napoleon Hill. One of my favourites quotes from him is, "why is it that more people don't keep on, keeping on?" The meaning here is that, if we push ourselves just a little more or further, we may get through the challenge and reap the benefits of our efforts...!
Here is my way of illustrating the struggles of life and I will relate it to a baseball diamond. The goal in baseball is to get a hit (let's call that success) and advance around the bases (we will call this the journey of life) If you only get to 1st base and hit a challenge or struggle (you are out) you must start all over again. Getting to 1st base 10 times or 50 times is not the objective. Keep on keeping on, to advance your life!
When you get good at this, you realize that you will keep doing it, because as I see it, there is no other option worth considering!!!
Struggles will make you stronger........trust me on this one!!!
I would welcome your comments on this week's Blog, in the comment section below.
"Helping you to the next level"
Monday, September 27, 2010
Helping a stranger!
...
This story may be a little out there for some of you.....................viewer discretion is advised!
Last week, I was working at my home office. It was a cool fall day, and I decided to step out on my deck.
As I could smell the crisp fall air, I noticed a beautiful butterfly folded on my deck.
Assuming it was no longer alive, I picked it up to admire the tremendous colors in his wings. As I did so, I realized that there was a glimmer of hope left in his very cold, and still life.
I decided to cradle him in my hands for a moment, in fact I went back inside and allowed the warm room to accelerate the somewhat optimistic recovery. A few moments past, virtually no time at all in my busy world, but something remarkable happened. He began to crawl on my hand and a few twitches were evident.
What could a few more minutes be worth to this little creature? Well, as fate would have it, those few moments were life changing. He started to respond to the warmth very quickly. I returned to the deck and held out my hand, offering support and encouragement to his healthy return. Moments later, his wings flapped with life and he went off. I took a moment to see him flutter away as he eventually landed on the warm grass, many yards away.
I must admit that this proved to be a surreal moment for me as I felt so powerful at that time, yet appreciated the fact that there was trust on his part. Sometimes being kind to a stranger is the greatest gift of all.
In life, we are presented with many opportunities to help others, but do we always take a few moments to make a difference? As you can appreciate, those few moments can be life changing for some and unforgettable for others.
Perhaps we can help a stranger in distress, or a friend that needs those few moments of our time! Ultimately, that may be life changing for us too!
"Helping you to the next level" (This has a new meaning for me this week)
I welcome your thoughts on my Blog in the comments section below.
This story may be a little out there for some of you.....................viewer discretion is advised!
Last week, I was working at my home office. It was a cool fall day, and I decided to step out on my deck.
As I could smell the crisp fall air, I noticed a beautiful butterfly folded on my deck.
Assuming it was no longer alive, I picked it up to admire the tremendous colors in his wings. As I did so, I realized that there was a glimmer of hope left in his very cold, and still life.
I decided to cradle him in my hands for a moment, in fact I went back inside and allowed the warm room to accelerate the somewhat optimistic recovery. A few moments past, virtually no time at all in my busy world, but something remarkable happened. He began to crawl on my hand and a few twitches were evident.
What could a few more minutes be worth to this little creature? Well, as fate would have it, those few moments were life changing. He started to respond to the warmth very quickly. I returned to the deck and held out my hand, offering support and encouragement to his healthy return. Moments later, his wings flapped with life and he went off. I took a moment to see him flutter away as he eventually landed on the warm grass, many yards away.
I must admit that this proved to be a surreal moment for me as I felt so powerful at that time, yet appreciated the fact that there was trust on his part. Sometimes being kind to a stranger is the greatest gift of all.
In life, we are presented with many opportunities to help others, but do we always take a few moments to make a difference? As you can appreciate, those few moments can be life changing for some and unforgettable for others.
Perhaps we can help a stranger in distress, or a friend that needs those few moments of our time! Ultimately, that may be life changing for us too!
"Helping you to the next level" (This has a new meaning for me this week)
I welcome your thoughts on my Blog in the comments section below.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Dam!!!
...
Did you know that the Hoover Dam was constructed in the 1930's?
A dam's main purpose is to hold back the flow of water.
So, what's holding you back?
We all have dam's that get created in our life, to hold us back or to prevent us from doing something.
It may be because of fear, career, relationships, health, etc.
What if the dam broke free? In some cases this could be a great and powerful force. You could flow more freely in life and not have so much pressure...........that pressure could be Dam frustrating at times!!
Ask yourself, ...Am I ready to break free and let what's holding me back flow? or...Am I willing to be restricted from discovering what is behind the pressure and build up?
More often than not, you will feel much better and definitely more powerful when you allow it to break free. Believe me, I can attest to this, and it is indeed very liberating!
Not to be so Dam serious today, I wanted to end this week's Blog with a quick clip from the movie "Vegas Vacation" with Chevy Chase, that`s Dam funny.
Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxhLz9l5s
I welcome your comments in the comments section below.
Have a great week!
"Helping you to the next level"
Did you know that the Hoover Dam was constructed in the 1930's?
A dam's main purpose is to hold back the flow of water.
So, what's holding you back?
We all have dam's that get created in our life, to hold us back or to prevent us from doing something.
It may be because of fear, career, relationships, health, etc.
What if the dam broke free? In some cases this could be a great and powerful force. You could flow more freely in life and not have so much pressure...........that pressure could be Dam frustrating at times!!
Ask yourself, ...Am I ready to break free and let what's holding me back flow? or...Am I willing to be restricted from discovering what is behind the pressure and build up?
More often than not, you will feel much better and definitely more powerful when you allow it to break free. Believe me, I can attest to this, and it is indeed very liberating!
Not to be so Dam serious today, I wanted to end this week's Blog with a quick clip from the movie "Vegas Vacation" with Chevy Chase, that`s Dam funny.
Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxhLz9l5s
I welcome your comments in the comments section below.
Have a great week!
"Helping you to the next level"
Monday, September 13, 2010
Slow down, you're going too fast...
...
As the song from the 60's suggests. "Slow down you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last"
...by Simon and Garfunkel -59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
It opens with............
Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.
It has been way too long since I kicked a cobble stone. Now that I think about, I have never kicked a cobble stone...LOL
Well, we may no longer use the word groovy, but what about, content, joyful, happy, grateful, accomplished, fulfilled?
As I reflect on the past summer and the many contacts that I speak and communicate with it is evident that we are moving faster and faster and don't feel "groovy" as often as we should. I can definitely attest to this from time to time.
Where are you going in such a hurry? Remember, life is about the journey not just the destination!
Much like what Jack said to Rose during a dramatic scene from the Titanic...
"You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count"
Are you making every moment count?
A very good friend of mine asked me recently, "Mike, do you take your own advice when you write your Blog?" The answer is yes. Remember, I am the first person to read the Blog and often refer back to past Blog's as a reminder to follow my own message. It is simple advice that we all need to be reminded of, from time to time.
Back to feelin groovy....
If we take a moment for ourselves and reflect on the journey and slowdown and not always go too fast, we may have alot more fun along the way.
Have a groovy week. Peace! (OK, a little too 60's perhaps)
"Helping you to the next level"
As the song from the 60's suggests. "Slow down you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last"
...by Simon and Garfunkel -59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
It opens with............
Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.
It has been way too long since I kicked a cobble stone. Now that I think about, I have never kicked a cobble stone...LOL
Well, we may no longer use the word groovy, but what about, content, joyful, happy, grateful, accomplished, fulfilled?
As I reflect on the past summer and the many contacts that I speak and communicate with it is evident that we are moving faster and faster and don't feel "groovy" as often as we should. I can definitely attest to this from time to time.
Where are you going in such a hurry? Remember, life is about the journey not just the destination!
Much like what Jack said to Rose during a dramatic scene from the Titanic...
"You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count"
Are you making every moment count?
A very good friend of mine asked me recently, "Mike, do you take your own advice when you write your Blog?" The answer is yes. Remember, I am the first person to read the Blog and often refer back to past Blog's as a reminder to follow my own message. It is simple advice that we all need to be reminded of, from time to time.
Back to feelin groovy....
If we take a moment for ourselves and reflect on the journey and slowdown and not always go too fast, we may have alot more fun along the way.
Have a groovy week. Peace! (OK, a little too 60's perhaps)
"Helping you to the next level"
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Surround yourself with good people!
...
Corporations try to do it, as they always try to recruit the right people.
In our personal lives, it should be similar, or at least in theory.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
– Jim Rohn
Do they raise you up, or bring you down? Do they bring negative or positive energy?
As I see it, we don't always surround ourselves with the people that help us get better, or more positive. Why not? Are we even aware of it?
In my business, I work with a number of different businesses from time to time.
Over the past 5 months I have worked very closely with Terry R. He is truly good people. While we have a strong working relationship, I know that I am a better person every time that we communicate and meet. He raises my game and makes me better. Thank you Terry!
I had the good fortune of spending the long weekend in Southern Saskatchewan with my family and enjoyed the harvest mode of farming for the first time in many years. Now that I am a city boy, I do not have the opportunity to do this very often.
During the trip I realized many things. First of all, I have an amazing family. 3 awesome sisters and 2 great brothers. When I am in their company I know that I am surrounded by good people. They raise me up, and never bring me down. They always offer unconditional love and support and there seems to be no limit to this. Yes, I know that I am a very lucky man!
As we go through the ups and downs of life we need to think more about who we spend time with. Having said that, the people that associate with us can say the same. What do we bring to the table? Do we raise them up and bring positive energy more times than not? Think about it...!
The above statement about being the average of the 5 people that you spend time with, must also take us into account as well. Are we improving the average?
"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher."
-Oprah Winfrey
Have a great week!
"Helping you to the next level"
Corporations try to do it, as they always try to recruit the right people.
In our personal lives, it should be similar, or at least in theory.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
– Jim Rohn
Do they raise you up, or bring you down? Do they bring negative or positive energy?
As I see it, we don't always surround ourselves with the people that help us get better, or more positive. Why not? Are we even aware of it?
In my business, I work with a number of different businesses from time to time.
Over the past 5 months I have worked very closely with Terry R. He is truly good people. While we have a strong working relationship, I know that I am a better person every time that we communicate and meet. He raises my game and makes me better. Thank you Terry!
I had the good fortune of spending the long weekend in Southern Saskatchewan with my family and enjoyed the harvest mode of farming for the first time in many years. Now that I am a city boy, I do not have the opportunity to do this very often.
During the trip I realized many things. First of all, I have an amazing family. 3 awesome sisters and 2 great brothers. When I am in their company I know that I am surrounded by good people. They raise me up, and never bring me down. They always offer unconditional love and support and there seems to be no limit to this. Yes, I know that I am a very lucky man!
As we go through the ups and downs of life we need to think more about who we spend time with. Having said that, the people that associate with us can say the same. What do we bring to the table? Do we raise them up and bring positive energy more times than not? Think about it...!
The above statement about being the average of the 5 people that you spend time with, must also take us into account as well. Are we improving the average?
"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher."
-Oprah Winfrey
Have a great week!
"Helping you to the next level"
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