Education For The Misdirected

TURNING IT AROUND FOR THE BETTER

"If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up.  What he needs is education to turn him around." ... Jim Rohn

A good formal education is what we all want for ourselves and our children and for the most part...at least here in the United States...it's within reach to practically everybody.  However a formal education is not what I'm really talking about in this post. What I'm talking about is the type of education that allows people who may have taken the wrong path early in life and became misdirected...and who desperately need lessons for turning it around for the better.  Or the people who didn't necessarily go down the wrong path, but simply weren't exposed to the values, thought processes, and life philosophies that lead to consistent success and life fulfillment.

At some point in our lives, no matter how difficult or troublesome our beginning was, we all have to have accountability and take responsibility for the decisions that we make.  For our choices, our actions. and the consequences that result from them.  The beginning chapters of any good book are usually very different from the chapters in the end.  Such it is with life.  We can edit our life's story at any point...if the will to do so is great enough.

I'm a huge believer in self education.  I strongly believe that success leaves clues, and that once we've endured enough pain and discomfort we can seek out a better way to live life.  This is what personal development is all about.  It's taking stock of your own value system...having the courage to do an honest self inventory and say "Hey up until this point I've fallen short.  I'm not happy with some of the results I've gotten through my decision making and I know I can do better.  I know the type of person I'm capable of being and I'm not going to be satisfied with anything less from here on out!"

There's a lot of power in that.  And we are neither alone in this struggle nor have a shortage of people to reach out to in order to help make these types of substantial changes happen.  On an everyday basis teachers, coaches, authors, social workers, counselors, doctors, employers, religious leaders and countless others serve in this capacity.  And by all means, and I need to stress this, a person doesn't need to have a title or a degree in front of or behind their name to do this.  It can be an extended family member, a neighbor, or even a friend who can make a huge difference.     

But it, the process, has to start from within.  The desire for change has to come from within.

Earl Nightingale, the "Dean of Personal Development", always referenced the six powerful words that he and countless others say changed their lives upon reading Napolean Hill's timeless classic "Think and Grow Rich".  Truer words have never been written or spoken.  "We are what we think about."  People need to be educated about trust, character, integrity, responsibility, accountability, compassion, participation...the types of things that there really are no "classes" for...but which are taught by the caring members of our society on an everyday basis.  Given the right example, the right people to follow and the right books to read, people can begin to replace the garbage they accepted as just "the way things are" with "the way things can be." 

People can reinvent themselves.  They don't have to be a slave to their upbringing or the life philosophy that has resulted in a less than satisfying life.  They need to be educated about the values. morals, and disciplines, that result in a life much different and much more fulfilling than the one they are choosing to live.  They need to understand...and feel...that they have free will to change what needs to be changed, and most importantly that they have the strength and courage within themselves to make it happen.

Until the next time...

#YouMatterTremendously

#GoldenRuleLifeStrategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose

Grow From Your Adversity

LIVING AND LEARNING THROUGH ADVERSITY 

My boys are ages 17 and 14.  Nick is my 17 years old and Kevin just turned 14.  They mean the world to me of course. I try as much as I can...without being a complete drag...to let them know that everybody faces adversity, and that it's how we respond to adversity that ultimately defines who we are.  In a nutshell my philosophy is you can either get bitter, or you can get better.  Living and learning through adversity is the name of the game.

Having gone through much adversity myself I'm fairly well qualified to speak upon such things to my sons, and to write upon the subject matter here.  I always keep in mind, however, that what one person may perceive as difficulties or misfortune is what another may perceive as mere inconveniences.

My mother, God bless her soul, taught me a lot on how to deal with adversity.  It's really amazing how much we learn from watching our parents as we are growing up.  My mom suffered a devastating stroke when she was in her early 40's and my sisters and I were teenagers.  I was a freshman in high school.  My mom and I were always very, very close and I remember being very scared that she was going to die.  It was the first real health scare in our immediate family.

She ended up being hospitalized for close to a year...she actually had more than one stroke and had some issues with blood clotting as well...so between her initial treatment and the ensuing physical, recreational and occupational therapies it made for a very long time away from home.  As you can imagine, it was tough for her and us, her family.  When she finally returned home her life was changed in a huge way from the stroke.  She lost complete use of her left arm and hand.  She also had to wear a brace and walked with a limp as her left leg was also affected.  She was always a great stay at home Mom and homemaker and didn't have a lazy bone in her body.  She cooked our meals, cleaned the house, did the laundry and often was outside working as well gardening and such.  She was a tough cookie and a great Mom.

Her tough Irish nature allowed her to deal with her adversity in a way that I will never forget, and has left an indelible impression on who I am today.  She very well could have expected us to wait on her hand and foot...but that was not her nature.  She resumed many of her household duties and did want much help with things...it was her way of proving...I am sure of this looking back...that she was far from being a figure to pity and to be viewed as weak.  That was who she was.  She continued being as active as possible until 20 years later when she was hit by another stroke which affected her eyesight and more cognitive functions.

But always a smile.  And a laugh.  And a song upon her lips.  A remarkable Mother I was blessed with to learn how to deal with the setbacks that can come...sometime through no fault of your own.  Her upbeat disposition is...for the most part...something I inherited from her and that I am extremely grateful for.  Many times over the years I have drawn upon her example as inspiration to keep a good attitude.  I have my moments...we all do...when I feel less than strong.  And it's in those moments that I think about her and course correct my thinking and attitude.

I am positive that we ALL have these people in our families...and amongst our friends...who serve as a shining example on how living and learning through adversity gives us the strength and the wisdom to deal with our own unique challenges.  We really need to be grateful for them and whenever possible let them know how much they are appreciated.  

Until the next time...

#YouMatterTremendously
#GoldenRuleLifeStrategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose

The Wisdom You Seek Is Already Out There.

GREAT THINKERS STAND THE TEST OF TIME

I can't really pin point the exact time and place it was but, about 18 months ago I stumbled upon the Success Hotline.  I'm happy I did. It was a baby step that I desperately needed to jumpstart the personal development process again. 

The Success Hotline is a phone number you can call...to listen to and contemplate...a motivational message recorded by Dr. Rob Gilbert. Dr. Rob Gilbert is a professor at Montclair State University and is an expert in the field of sports psychology, motivation, leardership cultivation.  His messages are usually under 3 minutes, thought provoking, and entertaining.  

The Success Hotline is daily, and as I type this he has recorded 9,212 of these messages.  That type of committment and consistency is amazing.  The number is 1 (973) 743-4690.  Give it a call sometime and check it out for yourself.

As good as the Success Hotline is there is a newsletter/website that is even better.  Dr. Gilbert spoke of it on the Success Hotline and well, since I enjoyed his Hotline so much I decided to venture over and give it the old cyber once over.  Once again, happy I did!

The newsletter is the creation of a terrific man named Jimmy Vaughn.  It's named the IQ Morning Report and it is chock full of invaluable, positive meme's, videos, articles and other resources designed to help you achieve your goals...however lofty they are. Jimmy opens up each newsletter with a summary of the days content and offers his own unique and accurate insight in a grandfatherly manner.  You can't help but like the fella, and I have fell into the habit of calling The Success Hotline and subscribed to the IQ Morning Report daily.  Jimmy Vaughn is a self described "student of success," and he is very quick to give recognition, credit and direction to the pioneers of the personal development industry, as well as the contemporary giants of today.  

There is a huge body of work for us to draw upon...the wisdom you seek is already out there and great thinkers stand the test of time. Napolean Hill, W. Clement Stone, Earl Nightingale, Norman Vincent Peale, Og Mandino, Andrew Carnegie...their writings and teachings alone can enrich anybody's life and in fact the number of people whose lives have been enriched by these great thinkers number in the millions.

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Until the next time...

#YouMatterTremendously

#GoldenRuleLife Strategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose

It's The Start That Stops Most People

Use Baby Steps If You Have To

Sometimes...often as a matter of fact...it's the start that stops most people.  By the way "It's the start that stops most people" is a quote that, from my internet research, is attributed to Don Shula the great former coach of the Miami Dolphins.  I fell in love with that quote the first time I heard it.  Awesome wisdom in that.

There are many many reasons why we don't begin the things we should really do.  Most of them really are not "reasons" per se, but excuses.  And although I don't know the originator of this next quote, it's another great one: "Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure."  We use the excuses "I don't have enough time" or "I'm too tired at the end of the day" or "I don't have enough money" or "I'm too old" to justify why we don't get started doing the things that we need to do to improve our lives.

This blog is a perfect example of that.  As it turns out it wasn't really that hard to start this blog.  It's just a matter of sitting down and doing it.  Discipline.  Let's face reality here.  If something is important enough to you, you'll find a way to carve out the time to make it happen. You know it and I know it.

Another reason we tend to procrastinate is that our belief system is in need of an overall.  Some of the things we put off can be downright daunting in nature.  A real challenge that's going to require some elbow grease to make it happen.  Things like losing a considerable amount of weight to improve your health, well being, or appearance.  Or making a job or career change because you have zero satisfaction from what it is you do.  Or ending an abusive relationship that you've been in for entirely too long.  

Things of this nature require you to be strong.  You have to absolutely dig deep and make the commitment to begin and then see it through.  You need to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! And I know that may not be the easiest of things to do.  Trust me when I say this.  But working on yourself is never squandered time, and there are people out there who want you to succeed and who even believe in you when you are finding it hard to believe in yourself!

Take baby steps if you need to.  If you need to lose weight change an eating habit.  Just one positive change to get you started.  Take a walk around the block.  Just a small change.  You don't have to completely revamp your life to initiate a change...but hey if you can do that all the more power to you.

The point is...just begin.  From there your confidence and belief will develop.  But you have to begin.  You can do it.  I BELIEVE YOU CAN. 

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#YouMatterTremendously
#GoldenRuleLifeStrategy
#LiveYourLifeWithPurpose