Time slipping away….

Because we were born, we know we will die.  We only have this time – this life – these days and hours.

Are we making them count?  Are we using them to their fullest in our development to realize our potential and make a meaningful contribution?  Or are we letting it slip away, unused; that time never to return again?

The Discipline to Live on Less Than You Earn

To become financially secure, or to get to a point where you are not living check to check, you must live on less than you earn. Save 10% or more of what you earn. It wil begin to feel good knowing you have something saved. Eventually you’ll have enough to invest in something to make those savings grow. (Don’t lose the money in foolish “too-good-to-be-true” investments!)

Saving takes self-discipline. The same discipline to put coins and a few bucks in a jar when you don’t make a lot is the same discipline it takes to save chunks of money and manage investments when you make or have more.

If you continually spend all you get (which many do no matter how much they make), you can never get ahead.

Removing Friction in Your Life

If there is friction or resistance in your life, you could use lots of energy each day to overcome it – OR, you could remove the friction.

Is it your thinking?  The beliefs you created from the story you are telling yourself?  A person?  Your fitness level?

When you remove the friction, it will be easier to move forward each day without it.  

What friction do you need to get rid of?

What price are you willing to pay?

Some people have natural talent. Some are smarter. But these things don’t guarantee success.

The people who are willing to pay the price to succeed will win. They are the ones who will do what it takes, when others quit because it is too hard.

What price are you willing to pay?

Changing Other People

If we go around frustrated that other people won’t change, it’s a sure sign that we need to change ourselves.  We will never get other people to think and act the way we want them to. People are different, and so are we.

We can only change ourselves, and by doing so we find the world will change for us – or at least look very different through our eyes.

Beautiful inside and out

Outer beauty doesn’t indicate inner beauty.  It may hide a troubled soul.

Who do you know that has an inner beauty that shines through?

Tell them you noticed.

Fear and Courage

There is a battle between these two inside you.  You can overcome fear with enough courage, but this takes energy and willpower to win the war.  Better to just remove the fear by understanding why it is there in the first place – to protect you.  But from what?  

When we can observe that our fears are our creations and not necessary, then we can let them go.  Then it will take far less courage to move forward, as the inner conflict is gone.

Let it go, and live.

"Glad to be here"

One of our convention speakers, John Foley, was a Blue Angels pilot. Wow! He told us about the teamwork, discipline, trust, planning and debriefing necessary to fly big jets three feet apart doing manuevers at 500 knots. It was amazing!

One thing they do is always say “Glad to be here” when planning and debriefing.  It sounded corny to some at first. What difference could that make? But after hearing him talk about it, and us all saying it a lot, it really changes your perspective. When you say “Glad to be here”, and really generate it, you are acknowledging to yourself that you GET TO be here, rather than have to be here.  

Try it.  

“Glad to be here” 

Freeing Yourself

We have beliefs based on what we learned and the story we told ourselves about what happened.  When new things happen, and they don’t align with our beliefs, we feel disturbed; our emotions flare up.  From there, our mind creates a narrative and keeps repeating it to us, and tells us to take cover and defend ourselves.

All this defending and protecting goes on in us and prevents us from living fully and growing.  

Just notice. Be the observer of what is going on inside you, and don’t participate.

Montreal!

My wife Wendy and I recently visited Montreal, Quebec for a few days.  What a city!  We loved it!  

It’s like Europe, but closer, and you don’t have to speak French. We found the people to be wonderful!  It has an easy vibe, it’s quiet for a big city, and it’s old and charming. Stay in the old section of the city (and don’t go in winter).  

Put it on your bucket list for sure. Six hour drive from New York City. It took me 52 years to visit, and I wish I had gone sooner!

Montreal!  Check it out!