Have Something Worth Saying…

There’s always that one person who has an opinion on everything… until a topic comes up worth discussing.

That one person who always has something to say… now is hoping no-one will realize their silence.

Take a moment to think about the sum of the words coming out of your mouth.

Will those listening learn anything?

Will those listening become inspired?

Will those listening gain any new insight?

I’m not saying that every word we speak needs to have deep meaning, however… there should be an ounce of meaning coming from some of your conversation.  A person who can dissect and debate every entertainer, athlete, and everyone else in the neighborhood, but can’t hold an intellectual conversation… is doomed to live the rest of their life on the same mental level they are presently in.

Why is this important…

BECAUSE THE NATURE OF ALL THINGS IS TO GROW!

We don’t all have to be geniuses, brilliant, or Rhodes Scholars… but as we grow older our experiences, struggles, and gained wisdom should effect our level of conversation.

This is especially vital to those who have children.  Other than ‘baby-talk’ and the occasional bonding moments with our kids, it would be difficult for us to assist in our children’s mental growth… if our level of conversation is as naive and inexperienced as theirs.

In life… there are times to play, times to laugh, times to get serious, and times to teach and learn.  Make sure you have more to offer yourself, your friends, and your family… than just having a good time with your words.

 

 

 

10 WAYS TO IMPROVE!

PRAYER

I’ve said this before… and I always will.  Prayer is the absolute best way to get through, overcome, and improve any situation.  Now any work you do will build the house… but your prayers will set the foundation.

MULTIPLY YOUR EFFORTS

If you’re working a few hours and you’re going nowhere, then continuing to work a few hours will continue to get you nowhere.  If you want to improve your success… you’ll have to improve the time you put into it.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Second to prayer, education is the surest way to self-improvement.  Knowledge is not power… it’s absolute power.  Know that there’s a world of knowledge for anything you want to improve in… so your self-education should be never ending.

LEARN FROM PROVEN INDIVIDUALS

There are those who are where you want to be, who were once where you are now.  How did they get there?  Well… that’s for them to know, and for you to find out.  So ask them!

LEARN… AND DON’T REPEAT MISTAKES

“I told you so…” should only be told to you once.  Any more than once demonstrates a failure to learn.  Mistakes are God’s gifts to help us grow wise and improve.  Repeated mistakes are self-inflicted wounds which we’ll never heal from.

GIVE MORE THAN YOU TAKE

If you want more… give more!  It’s a timeless life principle that far too many overlook, and most of us don’t understand.  Giving more simply means this… the best way to get what you want, is to help someone else get what they want.  Now go help somebody.

FOCUS IN THE MOMENT

Just because you’ve clocked in, doesn’t mean you’re locked in.  Just because you attended, doesn’t mean you’re present.  Just because you are here, doesn’t mean you’re focused.  There are a world of distractions that will keep you from being in the moment… at the moment.

DISSECT CRITICISM

Notice I didn’t say ‘Accept Criticism’… never ever never just accept anyone’s criticism without first knowing their motives.  Now there are some who are truly constructive with their criticism… then there’s the majority who criticize because they can’t stand to see you succeed at what they can’t.  Be wise to know the difference.

MASTER YOUR CRAFT

No time for laziness if you wish to improve.  That means continuously learning, practicing, and evolving in your field, unfortunately, too many think they can improve by simply participating.  If you want to truly improve in your field… take the time and effort to master your field.

FIND YOUR LOVE

Let’s be real… you’re not going to truly improve doing something you hate.  That’s why so many are miserable at their jobs.  That continuous focus you need to keep getting better, will only last if you love what you’re doing.  So put that same effort into finding a career that’s right for you… that you put into finding that right person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What have you accepted?

Most of us have simply accepted what has been given.  It’s just the plain ugly truth!

Most of our beliefs, our values, and our self-esteem… are not even our own.

Unfortunately, most of what we are taught, shown, or brainwashed into our psyche… are given to us without our knowledge.

Ask yourselves…

Is your political preference really yours, or was it passed down by your parents?

Are your personal interest really yours, or was it influenced by early friendships?

Are your attitudes towards diverse cultures truly your own, or was it taught by your environment?

We all have been given values and beliefs that would make-up who we are, but the question is…

DO WE ACCEPT ALL OF THEM?

Do we dismiss the lessons that were given to us that are detrimental to our growth?

Do we except the factors that were given to us that are beneficial to our growth?

Do we mimic the circumstances that make us a possible menace to society?

Do we adopt the surroundings that transform us into a credit to our families?

But the most critical question is…

DO WE HAVE THE DISCERNMENT WITH WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US,

TO KNOW WHAT TO ACCEPT… AND WHAT TO DECLINE?

Have something worth saying…

What messages are you relating to those around you?

What présidence are you setting for the generation that’s coming behind you?

How do your words effect people?

Each day we converse with different people, neighbors, friends, and co-workers, however, our most important communication occurs amongst our family.  The words we speak to our children, the language we learn from our parents, and the verbiage we acquire from watching family members converse… makes up our personality, our beliefs, and our attitudes.

With that said…

What type of messages are you relating to the ones you love?

How are your words, language, and verbiage effecting your family’s generation today?

Most importantly…

How is your communication effecting the growth of your family’s generations following you?

Will your words help improve your next generation?  Will your words help inspire your next generation… or are your words helping to keep your family on the same level generation after generation?

DON’T THINK YOUR WORDS HAVE THAT MUCH POWER?

Well consider this…

When elders teach their youth to improve and reach higher… it’s intentional!  When the youth aren’t inspired to improve and reach higher, it’s also intentional… and taught by elders.

The truth is…

Whether we realize it or not, we teach our loved ones just as much with our words as we do with our actions.  So the question is…

WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH, ARE YOU SPEAKING LIFE INTO YOUR LOVED ONE’S FUTURE… OR ARE YOU CONDITIONING THEM TO REPEAT THE PAST?

 

Today’s Pleasure over Tomorrow’s Fortune…

You see… all of us can talk a good game.

“I’mma become this…”

“I’mma accomplish that…”

“When I make it…”

We all have the gift of gab, talking about the things we’re going to do, however, when it’s time to put our money where our mouths are… we come up broke!

Years and years past by while we’re talking and talking… years and years pass by while we’re going nowhere.  Why is that?  Why do we talk, and talk, and talk, and fail to back our words again, again, and again?

BECAUSE WE WON’T GIVE UP TODAY’S PLEASURES FOR TOMORROW’S FORTUNE!

We don’t want to give up today’s hundreds to save tomorrow’s millions.

We don’t want to give up today’s fun to enjoy tomorrow’s stability.

We don’t want to give up today’s ignorance to gain tomorrow’s education.

We don’t want to give up today’s junk food to enjoy tomorrow’s health.

We don’t want to give up today’s mischief to live with tomorrow’s integrity.

We don’t want to give up today’s repeated mistakes to prosper in tomorrow’s wisdom.

We don’t want to give up today’s sins… for the blessings of tomorrow’s grace.

But know this…

WHATEVER WE GIVE UP TODAY, WILL MULTIPLY IN RETURN TOMORROW!

 

3 WAYS TO KNOW YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK…

When we’re going through the storms… all of our discouragements and frustrations can form the false reality that our lives are going in circles, that we’re running in place, and that all of our efforts are in vein.

Regardless of what we’re striving towards… these uncertainties can make us question are own efforts.

“Am I wasting my time?”

“Do I know what I’m doing?”

“Am I moving in the right direction?”

When we are striving, grinding, and fighting to improve our lives… our society, our peers, and our minds can sometimes cause us to question our own ambitions.

BUT THERE ARE 3 WAYS TO KNOW YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK:

 

1.  YOUR FEAR IS AT ITS HIGHEST!

When you’re closest to your blessings… doubt and fear will be at your doorstep trying to stop your progress.  Your most difficult times will be at the end of the journey.  Whenever you start to experience uncontrollable fear, doubt, and anxiety, that’s when it’s time to WORK HARDER… because that’s when you’re closest to your reward.

2.  EVERYONE AROUND YOU BECOMES AN EXPERT!

When people start giving you advice on what you’ve been working towards, that’s because they notice you’re about to become successful.  Ever notice how you can know people all their lives, and the moment you’re about to reap the rewards for all your hard work… these people become overnight experts on your career, on what you should do, and how you should do it?  People change their attention towards you when you’re moving in the right direction.

3.  ALL HELL IS BREAKING LOOSE!!!

Remember when I said earlier that your most difficult times will be at the end of the journey?  Well that doesn’t only apply to your fears!  When you’re on the path to improving your life, there will seem to be ‘unexplainable events’ that will happen to you.  Set-backs, bad luck, and unfortunate occurrences that will make you ask ‘Why Me?’  These ‘unexplainable events’ in your life will occur one after the other, but they are only tests, and these tests will serve as the darkest part of your life… before the sunrise!

THE #1 REASON WHY WE UNDERACHIEVE!

Let’s be honest with ourselves… we live in a country with the most freedom, and the most opportunity to become whatever our hearts desire… and we still have a high poverty rate!

The people in poverty in this country outnumber the middle class and wealthy combined!  There are high qualifying jobs in certain fields that are waiting to be filled… with not enough qualified people to fill them.  Citizens from other countries flock to our home not just for freedom, but because we have the most institutions of higher learning… IN THE WORLD!

In our very own backyard, the United States has 4,495 colleges, universities, and junior colleges.  According to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities… America has 30 of the highest-ranked 45 institutions!

WE ALSO HAVE THE WORLD’S HIGHEST INCARCERATION RATE!

So what does that tell you?  As Americans, are we lazy?  Are we incapable of learning?  Are we spoiled… or are we overly distracted?

Remember High School?  Remember how we would sit around and talk about all the great things we would accomplish as adults?  The question is… “Did you achieve them?”

THE #1 REASON WHY WE UNDERACHIEVE IS BECAUSE… WE ARE QUITTERS!!!

It’s a harsh reality, but the vast majority of people in this country have learned to quit whenever times get tough.

Let’s be honest… no one graduates high school with dreams of underachieving.  We all have big dreams of happiness and success.  We decide what we want to do… and we go for it!  And the first time a problem in life occurs, the first time we are faced with a major obstacle, the first time we get discouraged, or the first time things don’t go the way we planned… the majority of us quit!

The few who have succeeded and found happiness in life will tell you there are many obstacles to climb, problems to overcome, and a few changes in the plan along the way.

Do you know how many problems I faced and how many mistakes I overcame before I finished college?

Do you know how many rejections I faced before my books hit the bookstores nationwide?

Our lives… especially in this country, is about falling… and getting back up, and falling… and getting back up, and falling… and getting back up… until we’re able to stand on our own!  It’s not about having a dream, falling… and years later using that fall as an excuse as to why your life didn’t work out the way you planned.

AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES… LIFE WILL TEST OUR EFFORTS.

BUT IF WE DECIDE NOT TO QUIT…

AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIVES… LIFE WILL REWARD OUR EFFORTS!

What is your discipline?

As different as we all are… the vast majority of us follow the same habit patterns.  Even though we involve ourselves in various activities, each and everyone of us wake-up being pulled by a certain activity.

Meaning… either consciously or unconsciously, we all have something; an activity, a habit, an obsession, or an addiction that is pulling us everyday.

The question is…

WHAT ARE YOU BEING PULLED TO DO EVERYDAY?

Hopefully… what’s pulling your attention is leading you towards a prosperous lifestyle, a beneficial activity which is fueled by a talent, joy, or passion.  Unfortunately… the majority of people’s attention is leading them towards a destructive lifestyle, a damaging depression or addiction which is fueled by regret, anger, or pain.

Regardless of our situation, there is something that commands our attention everyday… and entices us to give our time and energy to be a part of it.  This is called our daily discipline.

So the second question is…

WHAT IS YOUR DISCIPLINE?

Are your daily activities leading you towards a path of success?

Are your daily habits strengthening you to become a better version of yourself?

Are your obsessions unconsciously keeping you stuck in the same situations year after year?

Are your addictions leading you down a destructive path that you’re afraid to acknowledge?

The most important thing to know is that each and everyone of us has a daily discipline.  So the most important question to ask yourself is…

“WHAT AM I WAKING UP TO EVERYDAY?”

3 ways to get back in the game…

1.  ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENT STATE 

Be honest with yourself.  Be accountable for the present position you’ve placed yourself in, and once you’ve done that… forget about it!  Let It Go!  So many people waste years beating themselves up over the past when they should be pounding the pavement trying to improve their fortune.  Be honest with where your old self has gotten you… so you can become real with where the new person is taken you.

2.  TAKE AN INVENTORY OF YOUR PRIORITIES

What you do everyday, is what you will become.  So the questions you need to ask yourself are; What am I becoming?  What am I turning myself into everyday?  Are my daily activities that are most important getting me back in the game, or are they placing me further down on the bench?  Remember this… you’ll never become aware of how your activities are affecting you, until you write them down.  Determine what’s working for you… and what needs to be cut out of your life.

3.  EXERCISE WHAT’S IMPORTANT

After you acknowledge your present state, and take full inventory of your priorities… it’s time to exercise which priorities are most important.  The priorities that will get you off the bench, are the priorities that needs to fill your personal calendar.  Make no mistake… discipline is the key!  What’s important cannot be exercised only when it’s convenient, or one to two days a week.  Think about this… you had no problem doing the things that kicked you out the game everyday… so you should have no problem committing to your new activities to get you back in.

YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED!!!

If you were hungry, sitting at a table surrounded by food, would you just sit there and remain hungry… or would you reach out and grab some food?

If you needed money, and numerous friends, family, and associates were offering you a loan, would you refuse their offer and remain broke… or would you reach out and accept the help?

If you were home sick, and you had the means to get medicine, would you continue to stay home in discomfort… or would you get up and go get the medicine?

Of course these are obvious questions, and each and everyone of us have been in at least one of these situations.  The point is…

WHENEVER WE WERE IN NEED… WE COULD ALWAYS FIND HELP SOMEWHERE!

The real question was were we willing to accept it!!!

In our lives, whenever we had a personal problem, at some point we received the assistance, support, and resources needed to solve that problem.

Well… the same applies to our professional lives!

Whatever you want to become in life… you are surrounded with everything you need!  All you have to do is reach out and grab the resources that are available to you.  There are numerous organizations ready to support any financial need in improving your career.  You’re not going to find what you need sitting at home everyday!  You have to get up and go get the endless assistance that the world has to offer!

IN THIS WORLD…

YOU ARE SURROUNDED WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED… TO DO ANYTHING YOU WANT!

SO ARE YOU GOING TO JUST SIT THERE AND BE HUNGRY?